WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on the claim by the North Korean government that they have detonated a nuclear weapon:
“The North Korean government’s claim that it has tested a nuclear weapon is a desperate and dangerous provocation. The United States can not afford to stand idly by as rogue regimes flout international treaties and threaten America and our allies.
“It is critical that we support President Bush and our diplomats as they work with other members of the international community to demand North Korea’s immediate disarmament. And we must work swiftly to ensure that the North Korean government is not supplying or shipping its technology beyond its borders. We cannot tolerate nuclear weaponry in the hands of rogue regimes or terrorist organizations that threaten the international community.
“This reckless move by North Korea, coupled with their attempted missile test in early July, highlights the importance of a U.S. missile defense shield capable of protecting America against madmen with weapons of mass destruction. It is time for Democrats to recognize the need for missile defense technologies and abandon their long-standing policy of voting against missile defense programs. It is now clear that such a position would weaken America’s national defense and put Americans in danger.”