Dear Senator,

Taxpayers for Common Sense urges you to reject an amendment to the FY09 Defense Appropriations bill proposed by Sens. Kyl, Sessions and Thune that would add $10 million for the Missile Defense Agency’s Space Test Bed. This program’s funding has repeatedly been trimmed back, precisely because many members of Congress realize that initiating the weaponization of space would be exorbitantly costly not only for America’s budget but its national security.

A robust debate of the fiscal, strategic and diplomatic implications of deploying space-based weapons has yet to occur. However, the limited information we have on the Space Test Bed indicates such as system would be hugely expensive: A 2003 American Physical Society study showed that at least several hundred space-based interceptors would be required to provide even limited protection against ballistic missiles. Indeed, the Senate originally eliminated funding for the program because “the costs of a space-based system are unknown and likely unaffordable,” according to the bill’s report.

Congress dramatically ramped up spending on space-awareness programs in current appropriations bills following a successful anti-satellite strike carried out by China earlier this year. Yet the Senate Armed Services Committee appeared to realize the need for a comprehensive policy to guide this spending when it included a clause in the bill mandating a “space posture review” outlining national security space goals for the next decade. We agree that more discussion is necessary before committing to such a potentially costly program.

If you have any further questions about this matter, please contact me or TCS Vice President Steve Ellis at (202) 546-8500 x126.

Sincerely,

Ryan Alexander
President
Taxpayers for Common Sense