HOUSE ARMED SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC FORCES

TERRY EVERETT, ALABAMA

CHAIRMAN

PRESS RELEASE

  OPENING STATEMENT OF TERRY EVERETT
CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC FORCES
Mark-up of H.R. 1815
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006
May 12, 2005

Washington, D.C. - The Strategic Forces Subcommittee meets today in open session to mark-up H.R. 1815, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.

It has been a pleasure working with my good friend and ranking member, Mr. Reyes, to build this mark. He has been very cooperative and straightforward: two attributes critical to our success. I would also like to thank the other members of the subcommittee and their staffs for their hard work toward making this a quality product.

The subcommittee's mark includes approximately $50.3 billion in programs within the budget request, including:

• $9.1 billion for procurement,
• $26.1 billion for research and development, and
• $15.1 billion for Department of Energy national security programs.

The programs fit primarily in the areas of ballistic missile defense, the military use of space, strategic weapon systems and platforms, and nuclear weapons.
The mark notes concern with several acquisition programs that have experienced technical risk. The subcommittee is concerned with striking the right balance between technical risks and providing increased capability to the warfighter. Accordingly, the mark makes reductions to several space acquisition programs.

The subcommittee mark is $124 million below the budget request.

The subcommittee received 260 separate member requests for adds totaling just over $2 billion. The mark accommodates just over $390 million in adds.

The recommendation before you funds the Missile Defense Agency at the budget request.

Highlights of the missile defense mark include:

• A $50 million increase for additional test resources for the ground-based midcourse defense system consistent with the recommendations of the Independent Review Team looking into recent GMD test failures.
• A $25 million reduction in funds for long-lead procurement for additional Block 2008 interceptors.
• Funding both the Airborne Laser and Kinetic Energy Interceptor programs at the budget request, with a provision requiring a cost and capability comparison between these 2 boost phase defense systems.
• And additional funds for development of the Aegis BMD system and for risk reduction activities for the THAAD system.

In the area of military space, the mark recommends a $400 million reduction for TSAT, and a $125.8 million reduction for the Space Radar program. The mark adds $50 million for small satellite payload development, $20 million for the development of a common satellite bus, and $13.5 million for the acceleration of the TACSAT-3 launch. The mark also includes legislative provisions that would:

• Require the Secretary of Defense to develop a bi-annual strategy for space situational awareness;
• Allow the Secretary of Defense to create or designate an organization to coordinate and focus the efforts of small satellite payloads for operationally responsive space;
• Direct an independent study to assess options to evolve the Advanced EHF and Wideband Gapfiller Systems.

Within Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the Department of Energy, the mark funds the Department at the budget request. Highlights of the Department of Energy mark include:

• A provision that establishes the objectives for the Reliable Replacement Warhead program, which is designed to ensure our nuclear stockpile remains reliable, safe, and secure. This program will develop reliable replacement components that are producible and certifiable for the existing nuclear weapons stockpile.
• No funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator program-the mark does fund a penetrator study within the Department of Defense that will apply to various options for the defeat of Hard and Deeply Buried Targets.
• Direction to the Secretary of Energy to conduct a risk and cost analysis for compliance with new Design Basis Threat security requirements updated in late 2004.
• A finding that the proposed transfer of certain environmental operations at NNSA sites from the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management to NNSA violates the NNSA Act. The mark does not authorize this transfer, but does fund the amount of the budget request for these activities under the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management.
• And adds $122 million to environmental cleanup activities at the Hanford site in Washington State.

I remind the subcommittee that Department of Energy nonproliferation programs will be addressed at the full committee markup.

The mark also includes provisions that would:

• Repeal a global strike report requirement; and
• Establish a virtual major force program for the Future Year Defense Plan to better reflect investments in the Nuclear Posture Review's New Triad.

I believe that the mark before you addresses member priorities and unfunded Department of Defense requirements, and recommend its adoption.

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