this is an utterly unworkable, unreachable system. that's like hitting a bullet with a bullet. so many times i remember that debate two decades ago, hitting a bullet with a bullet. how impossible. how ridiculous. yet, mr. chairman, as you know, today the closing speeds of our hit-to-kill technology is far beyond that. those closing speeds are for yount 30.06 bullets. the truth is we don't just hit a bullet with a bullet. we hit a the side of a bullet with great consistency most of the time. we live in a different world where there may come a time in the four where some jihadist mind-set might gain access to be able to launch some type of nuclear missiles against the united states, and we should not strip ourselves of the only tested proven system that we have to defend our homeland. every year, every year since this president has been in office he has requested a reduction in our ground-based mid court missile defense capability in the appropriation process. and mr. chairman, i just sometimes wonder what the pressed alternatives -- if i heard from my colleagues on the other sid