Third, adoption of the pause would directly undercut the President's strategic modernization policy by stopping the MX in its tracks. This amendment represents a back-door attempt to reverse the congressional endorsement of the Peacekeeper program and constitutes a repudiation of the newly formed bipartisan consensus on strategic modernization and arms control. Since small single-warhead ICBM's will not be ready to deploy until the early 1990's, without the MX there would be no new U.S. ICBM's deployed until then. This amendment would do nothing to reduce the 800 Soviet multiple-warhead ICBM's already deployed. We must view the pending amendment in the light of this reality.
Peace is to be found through strength.
We cannot afford any more delays.