Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Key Democrat Criticizes Nuke, Nonproliferation Budgets

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Key Democrat Criticizes Nuke, Nonproliferation Budgets

A U.S. B-2 bomber carries a mock B-61 nuclear gravity bomb during a 2011 trial flight conducted by the National Nuclear Security Administration and Air Force. A key Democrat suggested Wednesday that the Obama administration should simplify bomb refurbishment plans rather than cut funds from nonproliferation efforts (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration photo).

By Douglas P. Guarino
Global Security Newswirehttp://www.nti.org/gsn/article/key-democrat-criticizes-obama-nuke-nonproliferation-budget/
WASHINGTON – A key Democrat on Wednesday suggested the Obama administration should consider scaling back nuclear weapons updates rather than cut money from nonproliferation programs in order to pay for them, but stopped short of threatening to mandate such a change through appropriations legislation.
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations energy and water subcommittee, asked during a budget hearing why the National Nuclear Security Administration is pursuing $10 billion in life-extending upgrades to 400 B-61 gravity bombs. The first B-61 unit is now not expected to be ready until March 2020, Feinstein said, while a simpler $1.5 billion plan to refurbish three critical components could have been completed by 2017.