Defense Authorization Bill, Nuclear Lab Mandate Sent to White House

Defense Authorization Bill, Nuclear Lab Mandate Sent to White House

By Douglas P. Guarino
Global Security Newswire
WASHINGTON – The Senate on Friday approved a defense authorization bill for fiscal 2013 that would mandate construction of a new nuclear weapons laboratory and storage facility in New Mexico but that lacks many other controversial nuclear security provisions lawmakers considered earlier this year.
The 81-14 Senate vote on the of legislation followed House approval of the latest version of the same bill on Thursday by a vote of 315-107. The bill authorizes – but does not appropriate -- $527.5 billion in base Defense Department spending, $88.5 billion for overseas operations, and $17.4 billion for defense-related nuclear programs managed by the Energy Department.
The bill now goes to the White House for the president’s signature.http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/final-defense-authorization-bill-nuclear-lab-mandate-sent-president/