China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are investing in ways to nuke us. The time is now for missile defense

Our vulnerabilities are the product of conflicting political priorities and shortsightedness as missile defense took a back seat to other issues after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Republican Mike Turner represents Ohio's 10th Congressional District. He is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Due to fierce Democrat opposition, our nation never fully built out our missile defense capability and doubled down on nuclear deterrence. We have relied upon our adversaries’ fear that our nuclear weapons could destroy them to deter their use of nuclear weapons against us or our allies. The result has been that our cities and populace remain unprotected from a nuclear attack from Russia or China. 

Today, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran continue to invest in technologies to expand their capabilities to hit the United States with nuclear weapons. All four countries have also escalated their threatening rhetoric, indicating their willingness to use nuclear weapons in a military conflict. By expanding their nuclear programs, each has made clear that our nuclear arsenal is no longer a deterrent to their potential use of nuclear weapons.