[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MISSILE DEFENSE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the recent shift in missile defense strategy 
weakens both our allies in Eastern Europe and our position with Russia 
and Iran.
  The announcement that we would abandon the ballistic missile defense 
infrastructure in Poland and the Czech Republic could not have come on 
a worse date, the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.
  A Polish spokesman called the decision ``catastrophic for Poland.'' 
Only Russia has expressed satisfaction with the announcement.
  This shift in strategy comes as Russia has been increasingly willing 
to project its power in the region either through military force or by 
withholding natural gas. This decision undermines every pro-Western 
politician in Poland and the Czech Republic, our allies. Their careers 
are ruined.
  People are saying you can't trust U.S. commitments. We pleased the 
Russians with nothing to show in return. Now is not the time to 
appease. Our actions are seen as weakness and dangerous. It undermines 
our national security.

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