IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 98

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to limits

in any bilateral or multilateral agreement on certain missile defense

systems of the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 13, 1997

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. PICKETT, Mr. MCHALE, Mr.

MURTHA, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. TAYLOR

of Mississippi, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. BARTLETT

of Maryland, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. GINGRICH, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. SAM

JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. HYDE, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. BONO, Mr. SAXTON, Mr.

YOUNG of Florida, Mr. MCDADE, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. RILEY, Mr. STUMP,

Mr. EVERETT, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. COX of California, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr.

MCKEON, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. SCARBOROUGH, Mr. SISISKY, Ms. HARMAN,

Mr. ROYCE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. STENHOLM,

Mr. DELAY, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. TALENT, Mr. QUINN, Mr. CLEMENT,

Mr. REYES, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, and Mr. ISTOOK)

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with

respect to limits in any bilateral or multilateral agreement on certain missile defense systems of the United

States.
2

•HRES 98 IH

Whereas Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin are expected to consider proposals to modify the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972 in the course of their summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland in March of 1997;

Whereas consideration is being given to modifications that

would, in particular, have the effect of expanding the

scope of the treaty in order to establish limits on theater

missile defenses that are not currently covered by the

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty;

Whereas both the President and the Congress have repeatedly

emphasized the urgent need to deploy effective theater

missile defenses in support of United States forces and

allies overseas; and

Whereas the Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed serious concern that the negotiating proposals of the executive

branch will result in unacceptable constraints on the capability or availability of United States theater missile

defenses: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING LIMITS ON

3 UNITED STATES MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS.

4 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

5 any bilateral or international agreement that has the ef6 fect of imposing limits in the following areas would not

7 be in the national security interests of the United States:

8 (1) Limits on the performance of United States

9 theater ballistic missile interception systems (includ10 ing limits on velocity).
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•HRES 98 IH

1 (2) Limits on United States sensor systems

2 that may support theater missile defenses (including

3 space-based theater missile defense sensors).

4 (3) Restrictions on testing in addition to those

5 already imposed by the existing Anti-Ballistic Missile

6 Treaty (for example, no testing of nonstrategic mis7 sile defenses against strategic missile targets).

8 (4) Limits on deployments involving United

9 States theater missile defenses (for example, ar10 rangements that would restrict the number or loca11 tion of theater missile defense systems or would re12 quire the prior notification or permission of Russia).

13 SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING ADDITIONAL

14 AGREEMENTS.

15 In light of the concern of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

16 and the House of Representatives to proposals that would

17 have the effects set forth in section 1, it is the further

18 sense of the House of Representatives that no additional

19 international agreements are required to deploy theater

20 missile defense systems, and the Congress will not be re21 ceptive to any agreement that serves to reduce the poten22 tial of United States theater missile defense systems to

23 defend the armed forces of the United States abroad or
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•HRES 98 IH

1 the armed forces or population of allies of the United

2 States.

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