Rep. Michael Turner (OH) published a piece today in the Washington Times. Please see an excerpt
In sharp contrast to the previous administration, the President Barack Obama made sweeping changes to our nations missile defense portfolio last year. It slashed the Missile Defense Agency budget by $1.2 billion, reduced the planned number of missile interceptors in Alaska that were intended to protect the U.S. homeland, cut nearly all investments in future capabilities, and dramatically changed missile defense plans for Europe.
Yet it appears the Obama administration is now quietly shifting its missile defense policy. Perhaps the policy change is finally being driven by operational and threat analysis. Or perhaps it was a realization that these policy changes are harder to implement than first thought and more costly over the long-term. Nevertheless, the presidents Fiscal Year 2011 budget request to be released on February 1 will be the litmus test for whether the administration is truly committed to its missile defense policy or merely paying it -- and our nation and allies -- lip service.
The administrations policy cannot be funded if the missile defense budget remains flat. There are simply no more future programs like Airborne Laser, Kinetic Energy Interceptor and Multiple Kill Vehicle to take money from. Unless the Administration decides to further cut the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, take resources from critical programs such as testing and targets, or perhaps slow roll the implementation of its new policy, it cannot follow through on its stated commitments. A better solution is to restore top line funding for missile defense.