Perry: No, I think the term compromise misrepresents the position. What I have said and what I will continue to say is that the Administration's program and National Missile Defense program is an entirely appropriate way of dealing with the need to provide defense for the United States.
The alternative program, the so-called "Defend America Act," which was being proposed in the Congress, was withdrawn from the Congress just a few days ago beccause the Congresional Budget Office had indicated that the cost might be $30 to $60 billion dollars. I believe, therefore, that the Republican leadership is now looking at ways of changing their program to reduce the cost of it. I expect that will mean taking out of the program the space-based portion of the system.
As they do that, then their program is going to converge to look very
much like the program the Administration has. So I was not suggesting
a compromise, I was suggesting really that the Republican -- the
changes they were going to make in their program -- would be in the
direction of looking more like the Administration's program.