[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICA VULNERABLE TO FOREIGN MISSILE ATTACK

  (Ms. DUNN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, the Preamble to the United States Constitution 
states that the Federal Government shall have the responsibility to 
provide for the common defense. Protecting our national security is, in 
fact, the first duty and the primary obligation of the President, our 
commander-in-chief.
  But America is vulnerable today, vulnerable to a missile attack from 
abroad. It is a shame that it has taken nuclear blasts in India and 
Pakistan to convince American leaders that the time to act is now.
  Many Americans are unaware of this, but if a missile were fired at an 
American city, the United States would be defenseless against it. This 
is a shocking realization when you consider that there are many nations 
that have the capability of reaching American soil with long-range 
nuclear missiles.
  The potential threat to every child in America demands that we take 
decisive action to protect ourselves from the uncertainty that exists 
in the world today. It is time to honor our obligation to the 
Constitution and to the American people by building a missile defense 
system. No less than the security of our Nation and the safety of our 
children is at stake.

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