With ongoing civilian deaths from rocket fire between Arab Islamic extremist groups, Israel and Lebanon, and the threat of escalation, combined with the recent missile launches by North Korea, it is vital that the United States, and the world, recognize and accept the reality that those who seek to use terror as a political instrument will continue to use rockets and missiles to bring about as much destruction and loss of life as possible. The current prospects of Iran and Syrias ballistic missile inventory being associated with the Hamas and Hezbollah organizations creates deep concern for those millions of innocent civilians in Israel, as does the defiant and threatening nature of North Korea in its reaction to the United Nations Security Council resolution condemning its missile program. It is against this global backdrop that this week our Congress is in conference to decide the 2007 investment for missile defense.

The President of the United States has requested approximately 2 1/2 percent of the Department of Defenses budget for Missile Defense–approximately $10.269 billion. The United States Senate fully supports this amount, and in addition has with a bi-partisan vote of 98-0 vote added an amendment for more funding above the Presidents request.

It is with great alarm that the House of Representatives controlled by the Republican Party has put forward a $362 million cut from the Administration and Senate funding request for missile defense in 2007.

The Chairman of the House Appropriations, Rep. Jerry Lewis (Republican, CA), and the Chairman of the Subcommittee for Defense, Rep. C.W. Bill Young (Republican, FL) have overseen this funding cut for missile defense.

Click here for the list of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

Click here for the list of U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

This is the wrong cut at the wrong time, not only for our nation’s public safety but that of the world.

The simple math of measuring the cost of protection vs. the cost of having no protection makes missile defense affordable and a necessary expenditure of such a small percentage of our Defense budget.

We as a democratic society must hold our elected officials responsible

to pay the debts and provide for the common defense.

Click to read the letters written on behalf of MDAA to Chairman Lewis and Chairman Young

Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States