Michigan Congressmen Blame Justin Amash After Their State Is Passed Over for Missile Defense Site
They were hoping to hit the Department of Defense jackpot.
ZURI DAVIS
6.28.2019
Rep. Justin Amash (R–Mich.) is facing heat at home after his state was passed over for a proposed missile defense site; his colleagues in Congress think Amash's outspokenness about unchecked defense spending is to blame.
Following a vetting period, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a letter stating that it would be choosing Fort Drum in New York over Fort Custer in Michigan as the site for a potential Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) interceptor. The proposed ICBM interceptor would be designated to defend the East Coast from foreign attacks. The project, however, is currently in limbo as the Pentagon determined that the ICBM sites in Alaska and California are sufficient.
The decision inspired a bout of drama from Michigan Republicans, who ultimately decided that Amash's stances on defense spending accountability were to blame for the department's decision to look elsewhere for this hypothetical project.
"We always thought and were led to believe that on the merits, the Fort Custer site would be the best for the taxpayer and the defense of the country to build a new missile defense site. In fact, in the letter the Pentagon provided to the Committee on Armed Services, it makes clear that Fort Custer provided clear strategic advantages. It also states that the decision could be re-evaluated, and we would encourage them to do so," wrote Republican Reps. Fred Upton, Bill Huizenga, Tim Walberg, Paul Mitchell, and Jack Bergman.
"It appears that Congressman Amash's consistent opposition to all defense spending bills over the years was too much for the Pentagon to accept. It did not help, and now they selected New York for the new missile defense site."
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