Bad news for the Missile Defense Agency, including many Huntsville based and Huntsville managed programs. The budget for the agency will be cut by more than a billion dollars next year.

Congressman Parker Griffith sent a note to local media voicing his displeasure at the cuts. It reads, in part :  "As we learned weeks ago, there will be major proposed cuts to missile defense. This budget does not reflect the priorities of North Alabama and fails to provide clear support for national missile defense that is necessary to protect ourselves and our international allies.

"About half of the $17 billion in proposed cuts comes from defense, which is unacceptable.  This includes $1.2 billion in cuts to indispensible missile defense programs.  I will work with the administration and my colleagues in Congress to make sure our government is committed to these programs and they understand how vital multilayered missile defense systems like Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and the Standard Missile (SM-3) will always be to our nation and our international allies."

Senator Jeff Sessions released a message reading : "I am particularly concerned about the nine percent cut to our missile defense capabilities.  It's unthinkable that the United States, after years of research, development, and successful testing of missile defense technology, would not see it through to its completion.  North Korea and Iran are working to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles that can strike American forces at home and abroad.  It is critical that we fully support the completion of this program by building an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense shield that will protect America and her allies from a rogue missile attack."