Today, Human Events Online is running President Ronald Reagan's speech about the announcement of our Strategic Defense Initiative which was a bloody, brass knuckled fight in the House and Senate led by Congressman and former Presidential Candidate, Duncan Hunter.  The media dubbed the Strategic Defense Initiative, Star Wars and mocked President Reagan relentlessly.  But funding for SDI began and Duncan Hunter led the delegation to European capitols to convince our vital allies of the wisdom behind these programs.  He succeeded.

Reagan's 'Star Wars'



Duncan Hunter/Reagan Archives- 1985

San Diego Union Tribune | Oct 8, 1985

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Coronado, will lead a group of eight other congressmen to Europe later this week to lobby leaders there on behalf of President Reagan's proposed space-based nuclear defense system.

Hunter said yesterday that he and the other congressmen will meet with legislative counterparts in France, Germany and Great Britain to brief the Europeans on Mr. Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, the so-called "Star Wars" program. Hunter said they also will discuss Soviet violations of the SALT II arms treaty and "how the Soviets have used those violations to their advantage."

Hunter, noting the upcoming summit meeting between Mr. Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, described the recent visit of Gorbachev to France as "very successful" and said his American contingent will be "trying to present the other side."

The SDI has been opposed by many European leaders, but Hunter said his group, scheduled to leave Thursday night and return Oct. 15, will emphasize the importance of the missile defense system to them, not just to the United States.

Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, will be joined by two other committee members, Rep. Norman Sisisky, D-Va., and Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, and by Republican Reps. Henry Hyde of Illinois; William Hendon of North Carolina; David Dreier of La Verne, Calif.; Bob Dornan of Garden Grove; Tom Delay of Texas; and Bob Smith of Oregon.

The State Department will pay expenses of the three Armed Services Committee members, while the Department of Defense will pick up the tab for the others, Hunter said.