03/19/2013 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

        HJR 11-COMMEM. ANNIVERSARY OF REAGAN SDI SPEECH                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:09:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  JOINT  RESOLUTION  NO.   11,  Commemorating  the  30th                                                               
anniversary of  President Ronald  Reagan's address to  the nation                                                               
concerning  the  Strategic  Defense Initiative,  recognizing  the                                                               
strategic  importance  of  Alaska   in  the  missile  interceptor                                                               
defense  system,  and urging  the  United  States to  deploy  the                                                               
number of  ground-based interceptors originally intended  at Fort                                                               
Greely.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:10:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER,  speaking  as  the sponsor  of  HJR  11,                                                               
stated  the  resolution  commemorates President  Ronald  Reagan's                                                               
address  to the  nation  on  March 23,  1983.   President  Reagan                                                               
believed  the  U.S. should  attain  peace  through strength,  and                                                               
called  for  the  development  of  a  strategic  missile  defense                                                               
system.  The  resolution credits President Reagan  for his vision                                                               
and also  honors Alaskans who  play a  role in what  is presently                                                               
known as the  Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System.   The Alaska                                                               
National Guard 49th  Battalion mans the system at  U.S. Army Base                                                               
Fort  Greely  which  has  26 missiles  and  silos;  however,  the                                                               
original plans called for 40  missiles and since 2009, the nation                                                               
has been  vulnerable to  the threats  of missile  capability from                                                               
Iran,  China, and  North Korea.    The resolution  calls for  the                                                               
complete deployment  of the  full build out  of missiles  at Fort                                                               
Greely.   Recently, the incoming  Secretary of  Defense announced                                                               
plans to deploy  14 more interceptors at Fort Greely  and four at                                                               
Vandenberg Air Force Base in  California.  Representative Saddler                                                               
restated  that HJR  11 recognizes  President Reagan's  "star wars                                                               
vision,"  honors his  commitment  to peace  defense systems,  and                                                               
validates the  decision to complete the  installation of inceptor                                                               
missiles at Fort Greeley.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:12:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  said  he   would  offer  a  conceptual                                                               
amendment to make a few grammatical changes to the resolution.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER concurred.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:15:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG moved to adopt Conceptual Amendment 1.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG called  attention to  page 2,  line 13,                                                               
and suggested  deletion of the  word "respectfully."  On  page 2,                                                               
line 19, he suggested replacing  the word "missile" with the word                                                               
"missiles."   On page 2,  lines 26-27, he suggested  replacing "a                                                               
North  Korean missile  attack" with  "missile attacks  from North                                                               
Korea or  any other geographically  close entities."  On  page 2,                                                               
line 29,  he suggested deleting  ", including in  December 2012;"                                                               
and inserting ", December 2012," following "2006."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:17:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HUGHES withdrew  her objection.   There  being no                                                               
further objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FOSTER   thanked  the   sponsor  for   introducing  the                                                               
resolution.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES asked if the  resolution was drafted before                                                               
or  after  the  announcement  of  the  deployment  of  additional                                                               
missiles at Fort Greely.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said before.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:19:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER moved to report  HJR 11, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There being  no  objection,  CSHJR 11(MLV)  was                                                               
reported  from  the  House  Special  Committee  on  Military  and                                                               
Veterans' Affairs.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:20 p.m. to 1:22 p.m.