Posted on 14-6-2004
Zero
Funding for New Nuclear Weapons
From the Union for Concerned Scientists
In bold defiance of the White House wish list for new nuclear
weapons,
Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio), chairman of the House energy and
water
appropriations subcommittee, today eliminated all funding for
new U.S.
nuclear weapons programs. The committee cut all the money for
advanced
concepts research, the robust nuclear earth penetrator, the
modern pit
facility, and enhanced test readiness.
"Rep. Hobson simply said no: no to new nuclear weapon designs,
no to
resumed nuclear testing, no to producing new nuclear weapons,"
said
Stephen Young, Senior Analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"The
Bush administration's push for new nuclear weapons has come
up against a
brick wall in the House."
The move to cut the nuclear weapons budget signals growing bipartisan
opposition to the administration's nuclear weapons programs.
It follows a
close vote two weeks ago where the entire House came within
a few votes of
eliminating funding for the nuclear earth penetrator.
Last year appropriators cut or restricted funds for the same
nuclear
weapons programs, noting that it was premature to go forward
without the
administration's overdue report on the planned size and structure
of the
U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The administration belatedly
delivered the
report last week, claiming it plans to substantially reduce
the stockpile.
Hobson also cut one-third of the funding for construction of
a proposed
plant to turn excess warhead plutonium into fuel for nuclear
reactors.
"The plutonium fuel plan was going nowhere fast,"
said Dr. Edwin Lyman,
Senior Scientist at UCS. "Rep. Hobson is wisely taking
money away from
this pork barrel project and shifting to programs that will
effectively
address the nuclear terrorism threat."
On Tuesday, June 15 the Senate will vote on an amendment offered
by Sens.
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) to eliminate
funds for
programs to develop new nuclear weapons capabilities, including
the
proposed nuclear bunker buster.
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