Curt Weldon

Initially developed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, the proposal to construct and deploy a defense against ballistic missiles is again being debated by legislators. The goal of a national missile defense is to intercept foreign ballistic missiles—which could be armed with nuclear, biological, or chemical warheads—before they could hit the United States. In the following viewpoint, Curt Weldon argues that a ballistic missile defense is the only way to safeguard the United States against threats to its security. Congressional representative Weldon, a Republican from Pennsylvania, is chairman of the Subcommittee on Research and Development, which is part of the House National Security Committee.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What examples of instability in Russia does the author cite"

2. According to Weldon...