Lawmaker plans to attach strings to missile defense funds
Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., says she does not want to commit to systems in Europe unless both countries central to the plans formally agree to host them.
As the Bush administration nears a formal agreement with the Czech Republic on the U.S. military's European missile defense plans, a key House lawmaker said Wednesday that she would again seek to restrict funding for the effort unless Poland gives the green light to the plans.
During a brief interview, House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairwoman Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., said she does not want to commit the next administration to fielding missile defenses in Europe unless both countries central to the plans formally agree to host them.
Tauscher, whose subcommittee will mark up its portion of the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill in the next several weeks, succeeded last year in attaching language to the annual measure that prohibited funding to build or activate European missile defense sites until the countries give their formal approval. The Pentagon has been able to use fiscal 2008 funds to buy 10 missile interceptors, however.
"Unless both are ratified, then this is still an issue that is not resolved," Tauscher said. "I think it's safe to say that if nothing has changed, then there is no reason for Congress to change its opinion, either," she added.
The administration has been working to build international support for its plans to build an early-missile warning radar site in the Czech Republic and erect a launch site for missile interceptors in Poland.
On Wednesday, U.S. and Czech negotiators began another round of talks on the radar site in the hope of wrapping up discussions soon. If all goes as expected, Secretary of State Rice would travel to the country next month to sign an agreement allowing the United States to build the radar site near Prague.
But talks with Poland, which wants any agreement with the United States to include military aid, are moving more slowly.
"I know that they [the administration and Poland] are in significant negotiations," Tauscher said. "I know that there are a lot of intergovernment conversations, but these have to be ratified."
House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee ranking member Terry Everett, R-Ala., said he would likely agree to continue the types of restrictions outlined in last year's bill. But he also said he may try to tweak the language.
Tauscher last year criticized the administration's efforts to build a long-range missile defense system in Europe and has stressed the need to work with NATO to incorporate defenses against any short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that pose a potential threat to the continent from Iran.
Earlier this month, she applauded the decision by NATO leaders during a conference in Bucharest to assert their commitment to an alliance-wide anti-missile shield that would protect against a wide range of ballistic missiles.
"I'm encouraged to hear NATO leaders, including President Bush, formally recognize the need for a comprehensive NATO effort to better protect the U.S., our service men and women abroad and our allies against a growing missile threat," Tauscher said on April 3.
Russia, meanwhile, continues to oppose U.S. plans to build missile defenses in Europe, citing security concerns. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from a meeting last weekend still divided over the missile defense issue. Putin remarked after the meeting that he would be open to a global missile defense system built by the United States, Russia and European countries.
"This is the first time I've heard Putin step forward and say he would be interested in this common defense shield strategy," Tauscher said. "That's good news."