Congresswoman Liz Cheney Statement on the Missile Defense Review

Washington, D.C. - January 22, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Liz Cheney released the following statement regarding the release of the Missile Defense Review:

“I applaud President Trump and the Department of Defense for their commitment to defending our nation from the threat of missile attack. The Missile Defense Review released this week provides a clear strategy to counter missile threats from rogue nations like Iran and North Korea. It also reassures our allies and partners throughout the world that we stand ready to help them deter and defend against aggression from revisionist powers like Russia and China.

“The Missile Defense Review (MDR) puts us back on a path towards developing and fielding new and emerging capabilities to counter the advancements made by our adversaries over the past decade. Investments called for by the MDR in space-based sensors and boost-phase intercept are the type of forward-looking capabilities that are critically necessary if we want to stay ahead of our adversaries and defend against new and emerging threats like hypersonic weapons. Additionally, the MDR reinforces the need for a strong nuclear deterrence, as defined in the Nuclear Posture Review, to defend against the advanced intercontinental missile capabilities from Russia and China. The ongoing efforts by Russia and China to increase their nuclear capabilities makes the modernization of our nuclear triad more important than ever.

“I commend President Trump for his commitment to strengthening our missile defense posture to ‘ensure that we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States anywhere, anytime, anyplace.’ It is now incumbent on Congress to provide the resources necessary to execute the critical plans, programs and policies laid out in the Missile Defense Review.”

North Korea May be Continuing Ballistic Missile Program

Washington, D.C. - October 23, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator Edward J.Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after a new New York Times report reveals that North Korea may be continuing to expand its ballistic missile program. At a July 25 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Senator Markey to “fear not” when the Senator expressed serious concerns that President Donald Trump was being fooled by North Korea.

“President Trump is getting played by Kim Jong Un,” said Senator Markey. “We cannot have another summit with North Korea — not with President Trump, not with the Secretary of State — unless and until the Kim regime takes concrete, tangible actions to halt and roll back its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Without these verifiable steps, we can only assume that Kim Jong Un is not serious about denuclearization, only serious about stringing along a gullible American president.”

Rep. Scott Peters Supports Crack Down on Iran Ballistic Missiles

Source: Scott Peters (D-CA, 52nd)

Washington, D.C. - October 30, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) followed through on his promise to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its destabilizing activities in the Middle East, and pursuit of ballistic missiles by voting to support the Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act.  

Congressman Peters strongly supports condemning and curbing Iran’s conventional weapons program and sponsorship of terror through strict sanctions. The Iran Ballistic Missile and International Sanctions Enforcement Act directly targets those activities by giving the President the authority he needs to stop the supply, manufacture, and financing of such harmful weapons. In addition, it does not undermine the internationally negotiated Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), passed by the United States along with Russia, China, our European Allies, and Iran, which significantly restricted the path to a nuclear-armed Iran. Today’s action goes after Iran for its ballistic missile development. 

“The Iranian regime continues to foment instability across much of the Middle East,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “From the beginning, I have maintained that while the Iran Deal is the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon for many years, the United States and our allies must continue to hold their feet to the fire for their ongoing human rights abuses, support of terror activities, and ballistic missile program. The recent test of ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons goes directly against the calls of the United Nations Security Council presented under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and passage of enhanced sanctions for this activity is an important step toward holding the regime accountable.”

Rep. Peters continued, “These sanctions are part of a smart, tough strategy determined to stop Iran from maintaining its current path. This proposal not only cracks down on the development of dangerous weapons, but also targets those individuals at the heart of the foreign and domestic supply chains. This bipartisan approach is exactly the type of action we need to counter threats around the world and keep Americans safe.”

NORTH KOREA BALLISTIC MISSILE INVESTIGATIONS ACT Introduced in the House

Source: Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ, 5th)



Washington, D.C. - October 26, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Francis Rooney (FL-19) introduced the bi-partisan North Korea Ballistic Missile Investigations Act.

Said Congressman Gottheimer, “To be clear, North Korea’s illegal nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programs and its cooperation with Russia, China, and Iran pose a grave threat to the United States and our allies on the Korean Peninsula, the region, and around the world. We must use every tool at our disposal - including maximum political, diplomatic, and financial pressure – to defuel Pyongyang and cut off Kim Jong-un’s access to this deadly propellant. This bipartisan, national security bill I'm introducing with my colleague, Rep. Francis Rooney, will ultimately help stop the flow of fuel and technology to North Korea from abroad."

Congressman Rooney stated, “It is beyond time to defuel Kim Jong-Un and his rogue regime in North Korea. As the Korean missile crisis escalates, the United States must consider new methods to stop the aggressive nuclear program.

“The North Korea Ballistic Missile Investigations Act will require the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of State to investigate whether North Korea is obtaining unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH), or rocket fuel, engines, and parts from foreign countries. Reports suggest North Korea is using UDMH in their missile tests, and it is known that Russia and China are principal users of this fuel. These measures of accountability will further isolate the Kim regime by reducing its ability to receive foreign support, and de-escalate the threat of a missile attack on the United States.”

Last month, a bombshell report in the New York Times found that North Korea has acquired or produced the deadly fuel unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) -- known in Russia as “the devil’s venom” -- that is used to power intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the continental United States. Reports also surfaced that North Korea tested a new solid fuel missile engine as recently as last week. This disturbing trend threatens the security of the region, especially when other international threats like Iran are involved.

Congressmen Rooney and Gottheimer introduced the bill in response to a New York Times report detailing North Korea’s use of UDMH and their possible procurement of the rocket fuel from Russia and China. The North Korea Ballistic Missile Investigations Act will:

Require the Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of State to investigate the Kim regime’s procurement of rocket fuel and engines from foreign entities

Require a report to Congress within 105 days on North Korea’s internal capabilities to produce the fuel and engines, and on Russia and China’s role in assisting the Kim regime

Require the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to submit recommendations on improved implementation of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which was established to combat proliferation, including foreign procurement of liquid propellant engines such as the ones used by North Korea

As a member of the House Committee on Financial Service’s Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, Rep. Gottheimer cosponsored the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act, which passed the House yesterday.

Rep. Rooney and members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee recently urged Secretary Tillerson to re-list North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Rep. Black Statement on North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Launch

Washington, D.C. - July 31, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06) responded to North Korea’s ballistic missile launch with the following statement:

“It is our responsibility in Congress to protect our citizens and hold North Korea accountable for their actions. This latest ballistic missile launch continues North Korea’s alarming escalation of aggressive acts, and we will not tolerate it,” said Congressman Black. “Just this week, the House passed H.R. 3364, the Countering Adversarial Nations Through Sanctions Act, in a bipartisan vote sending the message that continued missile development and nuclear activity by North Korea is unacceptable. I urge President Trump to sign this legislation into law as quickly as possible.”