[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 48 (Thursday, April 11, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H1916-H1917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE IMMINENT THREAT POSED BY NORTH KOREA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GABBARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the recent 
developments and the growing instability on the Korean Peninsula.
  Today we are seeing an increasingly belligerent hostile stance by the 
North Korean regime toward its perceived enemies. For some, this may 
sound like a far-off annoyance, saber rattling coming from the East; 
however, nothing could be farther from the truth for families in my 
home State of Hawaii and in Guam who sit as named threats by the 
increasingly aggressive and unpredictable regime led by Kim Jong Un.
  He has demonstrated a pattern of belligerent threats and even 
unprovoked attacks on South Korea in recent years. This new leader has 
adopted many of the same destructive policies of the past in his 
pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities. He's 
revealed the willingness to sacrifice the safety and needs of the North 
Korean people in order to advance his hostile, unproductive agenda. 
Rather than caring for his people, Kim

[[Page H1917]]

Jong Un remains singularly focused on making provocations and 
establishing a ``military first'' doctrine.
  Along with Guam and Alaska, Hawaii has been placed in the crosshairs 
of this intensifying threat. It's crucial for the United States, and 
Hawaii in particular, to take these threats from North Korea seriously. 
We cannot be complacent. We cannot afford a mistake that puts the lives 
of our families at risk.
  Intelligence and previous missile launches have shown that Hawaii, 
Guam, and Alaska are within range of North Korea's intercontinental 
ballistic missile capabilities. New intelligence suggests that North 
Korea may be planning multiple missile launches in the coming days 
beyond the two Musudan mobile missiles it has fueled, raised, and 
positioned along its east coast.
  Our Nation's focus and commitment to the security and stability of 
the Asia-Pacific region now faces a serious test. As we rebalance and 
realign our presence in the region, it's vitally important that we get 
it right in terms of the strategy, as well as resourcing.
  The United States has an important interest in maintaining peace on 
the Korean Peninsula, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region. We must 
stand together with our allies in the region ready to respond to any 
contingency, and we must take a forward-leaning approach to address 
this imminent threat to prevent further provocations and to protect our 
families and our national assets.
  The international community has clearly stated its opposition to his 
actions and threats, but we need to ask more of those influential 
nations that have remained quiet. China, in particular, should be 
playing a strong role as a deterrent of North Korea's military 
ambitions.
  We're also seeing a destabilizing effect outside of the region as a 
result of the dangerous partnership between the two isolated rogue 
states of Iran and North Korea as regimes working together to develop 
more powerful weapons, missile delivery systems, and nuclear 
capabilities.
  It would be safe to assume that by addressing the threat on our 
country by North Korea, we are also affecting Iran and their nuclear 
ambitions.
  I commend our military commanders for their firm and confident 
resolve that they've shown in response to the endless posturing and 
provocative behavior of North Korea; however, from a U.S. policy 
standpoint, it's time to make a serious change. Such a change must be 
comprehensive, carving a new path forward using diplomatic and military 
means in order to break the cycle of threats that has existed for far 
too long.
  The carrot-and-stick approach that we've taken in the past has not 
effectively deterred North Korea's nuclear ambitions. To the contrary, 
we continue to face escalated threats which now extend beyond the 
region.
  Considering the serious threats we face today and the fact that the 
threat of missile attack on the U.S. is likely to grow, I'm deeply 
concerned about the President's proposed cuts to the missile defense 
budget in fiscal year 2014. This is a portion of the budget that should 
be increased, not decreased, to ensure the safety and security of our 
people.
  In the coming days and months, I look forward to continuing to work 
with my colleagues in pushing for action and resources to ensure that 
Hawaii and our country is protected and any potential attack is 
prevented.

                          ____________________