[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 150 (Tuesday, October 20, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H11688-H11689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL SECURITY TOP CONCERN FOR 106TH CONGRESS

  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, not too many months ago this Congress 
created a commission to examine the threat of distribution of weapons 
of mass destruction, and specifically, the development of ballistic 
missile technology to rogue countries and to lesser developed 
countries. That commission, a bipartisan commission of some of the most 
distinguished Americans in the area of defense, security and 
intelligence, has unanimously made its recommendations to the Congress.
  I know that Members will be busy the next several weeks, but I urge 
them to look at the executive summary or the full report which has been 
presented to their offices. I think this report is chillingly 
important. It suggests to us that our assumptions in the administration 
were very faulty when it comes to the amount of time, the difficulty 
that countries will have in securing ballistic missile systems and 
weapons of mass destruction. We have, they tell us, far underestimated 
the opportunity to buy or to acquire technology for that purpose.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to look at this report. It is one of the 
most important items of information being brought to our attention on 
national security for many years. It is up to my colleagues to examine 
this and to try to have an impact on the future Congress, the 106th 
Congress.

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