House OKs East Coast missile shield site in $643B defense bill

House OKs East Coast missile shield site in $643B defense bill
The Hill -- By Pete Kasperowicz and Jeremy Herb - 05/18/12 12:47 PM ET

The House on Friday approved a sweeping defense authorization bill for 2013 that calls for the construction of an East Coast missile defense system in the United States by the end of 2015.

The bill obligates $100 million next year to plan for the site, but the project would cost billions of dollars in later years that has yet to be funded.

The language was derided by a House Democrat as an "East Coast Star Wars fantasy base" but nonetheless escaped further scrutiny during floor debate Wednesday and Thursday on amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

There are many controversial "political" points in the legislation. Read the story for details.



I wonder how many "Lobbyists" have been involved in this so far ?

Perhaps one of those groups who push for new laws and regulations should design a program to force all Congressional legislation to attach a complete list of all Lobbying people and firms that are involved in legislative influences.

People might be interested in knowing WHO is going to make money from legislations.

Let's split the world in 2 over and over again. I wonder what will eventually happen?

We need protection from terrorists from Atlantis!
Or Cuban fishing trawlers with Estes rockets.
Our leaders know what's best, how dare we question Congress almighty!

I mean they are doing basically nothing and getting paid mucho dinero and getting ensured pensions.
They must be smarter than us!

Better idea, build a rocket and launch Congress in to space on it.
Here's the brains behind the bill:

The authorization bill from Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.)

All those defense contractors in California are crying for business.

(sigh) What happened to the logic of deterrence. We're going to spend ourselves into total oblivion in trying to defend against every possible threat from every possible source imaginable and over any cause that some paranoid loser in Washington can dream up to bring more fear from.

This was a whole lot easier AND effective when men like Reagan, Daddy Bush and yes, even Clinton had strong, quiet resolve and an absolute NO QUESTION policy of just nuking the first moron to drop a serious attack into our nation. That kept us safe and quiet here for at least the 80's and 90's (with one notable exception in '93...but they paid for that and still are rotting in cells for it).

They can build every buck rogers toy for defense they'd like and it wont' stop a damn thing if Russia or China get into it and that's a fact. Our Missile shields are billions chasing trillions on the idea of stopping ROGUE missiles. Not a full and determined attack. Even Reagan's defense people had to finally admit that stopping a full scale incoming nuclear attack was simply not happening......and there, we're back the deterrence. I believe it really does work.

I hope the build it in Rhode Island... id like to see missles going off hahah.

Nothing is impossible people lot of negative nelly's have said

man will be able to fly ? impossible
man in space? impossible
man would be able to talk to someone across the globe? impossible

What people fail to realize is the technology they are utilizing right now came from that journey and yep it cost money but it has also made people money and increased their standard of living.

If people want all those foreign bases closed does not matter one iota people will still want this country to burn people really have forgotten what Eisenhower said in that infamous speech and it was not about a run away MIC it meant with great power comes great responsibility not to misuse it but to make damn sure you do everything in their power to make sure they protect this country.

While some think we have strayed from that path the original intention is still there protection of this country.