With a nuclear posture review underway and the Obama Administration negotiating a new arms control agreement with Russia, Montana’s Congressional delegation has made clear that it doesn’t want to see cuts made in the nation’s ICBM force that would affect Montana’ Malmstrom Air Force Base, which hosts 150 Minuteman III missiles, one third of all US land-based ICBMs. In a joint release Wednesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D), Sen. Jon Tester (D) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) said they expressed their strong support for the ICBM mission during a meeting with James Miller, deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, who is playing a pivotal role in the NPR. “These missiles are essential to national security,” said Baucus. Tester added that Malmstrom and its airmen are “a key part of our national security infrastructure.” And Rehberg said maintaining Malmstrom’s missiles benefits “not only Montana, but all Americans.”
Congress is making moves to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, but lawmakers have only a few days left to clear the procedural hurdles necessary to ensure troops get paid Nov. 14. The issue is particularly pressing for tens of thousands of uniformed personnel in the Air National…
