 |
| President requests $140 million for Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship |
May 31, 2001 |
| |
Wilson hopes to see funding boost for New Mexico programs
ALBUQUERQUE, NM-The White House today notified Congresswoman Heather Wilson that President Bush will request $140 million in additional funding this year for stewardship of the nation’s nuclear stockpile. The funding, once approved by Congress, will go to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapons complex. Significant portions of the funding will likely go to each of the nation’s nuclear laboratories, including Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs.
“Senator Domenici and I feel strongly that funding for our stockpile stewardship programs should be preserved, if not increased,” says Congresswoman Wilson, who’s district includes Sandia National Laboratories. “A significant portion of this funding will be spent in New Mexico, where we have two of our nation’s premiere nuclear laboratories. The men and women who maintain our nuclear weapons deserve this support. I applaud the President for recognizing the importance of these programs and look forward to working with him in the future to maintain the reliability of our nation’s nuclear stockpile.”
The funding request is an FY2001 supplemental appropriation and includes $100 million for refurbishment and stockpile life extension work, and $40 million for plutonium pit manufacturing. A significant amount of stockpile funding is spent in New Mexico. Stockpile stewardship refers to the science of maintaining our country’s nuclear-weapons . The program relies on cutting-edge technology to ensure that weapons function safely and reliably, and to ensure that they operate as intended.
“Stockpile life extension,” which may receive a $100 million boost this year under Bush’s proposal, is work done to keep existing nuclear weapons in the stockpile longer. Most nuclear weapons were originally designed, in general, with a 20-year life span. The life extension program extends the life of a nuclear weapon while maintaining safety and reliability.
The balance of the funding, $40 million, would go to pit manufacturing. The so-called “pit” is the core of every nuclear weapon. Currently, there is no manufacturing program in the country for pits, but Los Alamos is reestablishing that capability.
The NNSA, which Wilson had a role in creating, is a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy and is responsible for our nation`s nuclear weapons program.
-END- |
|
|
|