Preservation of Peace in Space
Kucinich gave the following speech in Congress on June 20, 2005
Congressman Kucinich offered an amendment to H.R. 2863, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006.
"Mr. Chairman, this amendment to the defense appropriations bill would make a policy statement regarding the preservation of peace in space. It would ban the research, testing, development, and deployment of space-based weapons. It would ban the targeting of objects in orbit in space, that is, satellites, by any weapon, whether land, sea, air or space-based and would call on the President to negotiate an international treaty banning space-based weapons.
"The policy of preserving peace in space was first established by law in 1958 with the National Aeronautics and Space Act. Specifically, this law stated: 'It is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.'
"Yet despite any amendment to law or consideration by Congress, this policy has changed significantly behind closed doors. The Air Force is moving forward with a plan to weaponize space. At an Air Force conference last September, Air Force General Lance Lord, who leads the Air Force Space Command, said, 'Space superiority is not our birthright, but it is our destiny. Space superiority is our day-to-day mission. Space supremacy is our vision for the future.'
"With little public debate, the Pentagon has already spent billions of dollars through appropriations bills such as this one to developing space weapons and preparing plans to deploy them. The Air Force has recently sought President Bush's approval of a national security directive that could move the United States closer to fielding offensive and defensive space weapons. This new policy would be opposed by our friends and our potential enemies.
"Our largest possible adversaries, China and Russia, have agreed for a global ban on space weapons. Yet moving forward with plans to weaponize space would most certainly create an arms race in space, and it would certainly be counterproductive to the national security of the United States to give potential adversaries reason to accelerate development of space weapons technology.
"Again, I ask this Congress to remember that in 1958 when the National Aeronautics and Space Act was passed, it stated that: 'It is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.'
"That was a good act in 1958, and it would be good for this Congress to preserve that policy, and that is the intention of this amendment.
"At this point, understanding the rules, I will concede to the gentleman from Florida the point of order that he raised."
Mr. Young (FL) stated that the Kucinich amendment sought to change existing law and constituted legislation in an appropriations bill. The Chair sustained the point of order.
Text of the Amendment:
Page 99, after line 4, insert the following new section:
"Sec. 8103. (a) Short Title. -- This section may be cited as the 'Space Preservation Act of 2005'.
"(b) Reaffirmation of Policy on the Preservation of Peace in Space. -- Congress reaffirms the policy expressed in section 102(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451(a)), stating that it 'is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.'
"(c) Ban on Basing of Weapons in Space and the Use of Weapons Against Objects in Space in Orbit. -- The President shall --
"(1) implement a ban on space-based weapons of the United States and the use of weapons of the United States to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit; and
"(2) immediately order the termination of research and development, testing, manufacturing, production, and deployment of all space-based weapons of the United States.
"(d) International Treaty Banning Space-Based Weapons and the Use of Weapons Against Objects in Space in Orbit. -- The President shall direct the United States representatives to the United Nations and other international organizations to immediately work toward negotiating, adopting, and implementing an international treaty banning space-based weapons and the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit.
"(e) Report. -- The President shall submit to Congress not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 6 months thereafter, a report on --
"(1) the implementation of the ban on space-based weapons and the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit required by subsection (c); and
"(2) progress toward negotiating, adopting, and implementing the treaty described in subsection (d).
"(f) Space-Based Nonweapons Activities. -- Nothing in this section may be construed as prohibiting the use of funds for --
"(1) space exploration;
"(2) space research and development;
"(3) testing, manufacturing, or production that is not related to space-based weapons or systems; or
"(4) civil, commercial, or defense activities (including communications, navigation, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning, or remote sensing) that are not related to space-based weapons or systems.
"(g) Definitions. -- In this section:
"(1) The term 'space' means all space extending upward from an altitude greater than 110 kilometers above the surface of the earth and any celestial body in such space.
"(2) The terms 'space-based weapon' and 'space-based system' mean a device capable of damaging or destroying an object or person (whether in outer space, in the atmosphere, or on Earth) by --
"(A) firing one or more projectiles to collide with that object or person;
"(B) detonating one or more explosive devices in close proximity to that object or person; or
"(C) any other undeveloped means."
Subscribe to this blog's feed