*EPF410 03/29/01
Excerpts: Domenici Says Russian Nuclear Stockpile Serious Threat
(Senator calls for attention to Russian safety, security issue) (1380)
Washington -- Republican Senator Pete Domenici, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told a gathering of nuclear security experts March 26 that "Russia's nuclear stockpile is the most serious national security threat we face today."
He quoted the Bush administration's national security advisor as saying that U.S. security is threatened more by Russia's weakness and incoherence than by its military strength. "This suggests immediate attention to the safety and security of Moscow's nuclear forces and stockpile," he said.
In a speech written for delivery to the Nuclear Security Decision-makers second annual forum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the senator also discussed problems facing the U.S. Nuclear Stockpile Stewardship Program -- a program that validates the soundness of the U.S. nuclear stockpile in the absence of nuclear tests.
He also emphasized that the new U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) should be made part of "an integrated national approach to our entire nuclear deterrent."
Following are excerpts of Domenici's statement as prepared for delivery:
(NOTE: In the text, billions equals 1,000 million.)
(begin excerpts)
I will focus my remarks today on the three dominant challenges facing the NNSA: first, the challenge of setting up a strong new NNSA organization; second, the challenge of getting the mission and requirements of the NNSA adequately funded; and third, the challenge of protecting and strengthening the NNSA's most precious asset -- its people.
Within each of these significant challenges exist even greater opportunities.
Let me turn to the first challenge -- getting the NNSA going. At the first Forum last year, I discussed many of the concerns that led me and other Congressional leaders to work towards creation of the NNSA. While the legislative path was reasonably straight forward, the implementation has taken a rather tortured path. Last year you heard some of my frustration as the process to create and staff the NNSA seemed to be taking an eternity.
Despite the problems with the previous administration over the last year, I was delighted to welcome General John Gordon as the first Administrator of the NNSA. (U.S. Energy) Secretary Abraham has assured me of his intent to work very closely with General Gordon and to provide an appropriate degree of autonomy to the NNSA to allow it to function as Congress intended.
The challenges that led Congress to create the NNSA (http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/) in the first place have not all gone away, and General Gordon certainly has not had an opportunity yet, or the appropriate senior officials, to make substantial progress. I must admit to frustration in that we do not yet have a Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs or a Deputy Administrator for Defense Nonproliferation in place. Even General Gordon, with all his credentials, cannot run the organization alone. His success, and the success of the NNSA are dependent upon the ability to attract the best technical managers into this endeavor.
I would like to make one additional point in this area: the NNSA must become part of an integrated national approach to our entire nuclear deterrent, working more closely with the DoD. I concur with the recent report of the Foster Panel that found it essential to define, fund and execute the work needed to restore and exercise integrated design, fabrication, and certification capabilities. The Panel noted, for example, that the NNSA should be working on robust, alternative weapons that provide options to the military for the future.
The challenge of creating a strong NNSA still holds within it an even greater opportunity -- the opportunity to build a new elite agency, one built on the foundations of profound scientific and military accomplishment, and one with a new culture of accountability and performance in maintaining our strategic deterrence, reducing global threats and providing unparalled leadership in science and technology.
The second major challenge before us, and one I have championed over the years, is ensuring that the programs and requirements of the NNSA are adequately funded.
The NNSA is operating this year under a much improved budget thanks to actions in Congress. Stockpile stewardship activities are funded at $5.0 billion, $460 million above the last year. Nuclear non-proliferation within NNSA also was increased. These actions show the importance that Congress attaches to these critical national security areas.
The Bush administration has proposed $5.3 billion for Stockpile Stewardship for fiscal year 2002. However, even with this budget increase several problem areas stand out.
My Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing to review the infrastructure problems in the NNSA. At this hearing, senators learned more about how our nuclear weapons facilities have degraded in recent years. It will take billions of dollars to fix the problems and modernize for the future.
For example,
-- The average age of the facilities where we do nuclear weapons work is over 40 years.
-- Maintenance funding has been well below industry standards. An immediate maintenance backlog of approximately $800 million exists today.
-- Some workers at the Y-12 plant in Tennessee have to wear hard hats, not because the work is inherently dangerous, but because chunks of concrete are falling off the ceiling.
-- The head of the Pantex Plant testified that "roof leaks in the production areas now number in the hundreds and will soon be in the thousands. Weapons must be covered with plastic bags to protect them when it rains."
This situation is totally unacceptable. The infrastructure crisis is far too great to put it off for another year. The facilities are too old, far too expensive to maintain, and pose serious risks to the health and safety of our workers and to the environment.
The outcome of my hearing on infrastructure confirmed my view that we need to spend an additional $500 million annually for more than the next decade to rebuild the weapons complex for the future. Although, I expect to see no funds requested for these activities in the President's initial budget submission, I will continue to press both the Congress and the administration for additional money to begin the rebuilding.
In the non-proliferation arena, Congress has provided strong support for these programs over the last several years, and this support is consistent with the strong endorsement provided by the recent Baker-Cutler report which noted that:
Russia's nuclear stockpile is the most serious national security threat we face today.
The Report also complimented NNSA's current achievements in non-proliferation programs and called for increased funding of these efforts.
These non-proliferation programs seemed initially to have strong support from the Bush administration. For example, the new National Security Advisor recently noted that:
American security is threatened less by Russia's strength than by its weakness and incoherence. This suggests immediate attention to the safety and security of Moscow's nuclear forces and stockpile.
I remain hopeful that the President's future budget submissions will fully support this policy.
Within the challenge of ensuring adequate funding for the programs of the NNSA, the leadership within the weapons complex must take the opportunity to find a new and better way to get its work done. No matter what the budget environment, the NNSA must have results.
The third and final challenge before the NNSA is the challenge of protecting our most precious asset -- our people.
For many of our scientists and technicians, the last few years have been demoralizing. Working conditions have deteriorated. Security problems have led some to question the scientist's patriotism. Many have felt over-polygraphed and under appreciated.
I worked hard last year in Congress to help with these morale issues. For example, I worked to increase LDRD funding to the historic six percent level, and provided a substantial increase in travel funding.
The challenge of recruiting and retaining scientists and technicians, as well as top flight federal personnel for the NNSA is serious, and we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. But the opportunities are great. NNSA has an exciting mission, and despite its current problems, will continue to offer work on some of the most challenging scientific endeavors in the world.
(end excerpts)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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