Budget & Policy

Congressional check-writers should direct the Environmental Protection Agency to use its 2025 budget to update its generic standards for a nuclear waste repository, interest groups said recently. The ask came in the form of a letter signed by twelve organizations and sent to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations interior and environment subcommittees […]

The Exchange Monitor planned to hold its second annual Nuclear Energy Security Summit this week in Washington on June 26-27. The event focuses on domestic and international deployment of U.S. nuclear technology, including power plants and fuel. There is no virtual attendance. Among the scheduled speakers were Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Appropriations […]

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration should update its racial diversity guides for prime contractors to ensure leading practices are being used, the Government Accountability Office said in a report out Friday. Also, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) May 2023 diversity report for management contractors generally […]

The Exchange Monitor planned to hold its second annual Nuclear Energy Security Summit next week in Washington on June 26-27. Among the scheduled speakers were Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee, who was due to deliver an 8:15 a.m. Eastern keynote speech at the Ronald Reagan Building […]

The Exchange Monitor planned to hold its second annual Nuclear Energy Security Summit next week in Washington on June 26-27. Among the scheduled speakers were Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee, who was due to deliver an 8:15 a.m. Eastern keynote speech at the Ronald Reagan Building […]

A House panel on Friday announced that it plans next week to vote on a bill to fund Department of Energy civilian nuclear programs for fiscal year 2025. The House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee planned to stream the markup live on its YouTube channel. The bill under consideration would fund the Department of […]

The U.S. Senate made some parliamentary moves that could pave the way for a Department of Energy manager from the Savannah River National Laboratory, Patricia Lee, to receive a voice vote on her nomination to the Defense Nuclear Facilities. A cloture motion was presented in the Senate Thursday on Lee’s nomination to become a member […]

Lawmakers’ $923.3 billion defense authorization bill will wait for a floor vote until after the July 4 recess, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee said this week. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told reporters after the body’s weekly policy lunches that she and other Democrats will not agree to a defense increase while other domestic […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee overwhelmingly approved a National Defense Authorization Act that would authorize more than requested for the National Nuclear Security Administration, but a floor vote on the bill will wait until after July 4. Senate Democrats on Tuesday said they are mostly opposed to increasing defense spending beyond existing budget caps unless […]

Global spending on nuclear weapons increased by 13% in 2023, according to the latest annual report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons group, reaching $91.4 billion that year with a world-leading $51.5 billion spent in the U.S.  This 2023 total is $10.7 billion higher than the previous year, with all nine nuclear-armed states […]

After nearly a year of bicameral debate and dealing, the Senate on Tuesday passed a bill designed to ease exports of U.S. nuclear technology and reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, opposed only by two of the voting senators. The heavily amended Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which […]

After nearly a year of bicameral debate and dealing, the Senate on Tuesday passed a bill designed to ease exports of U.S. nuclear technology and reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, opposed only by two of the voting senators. One was Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), the progressive, pacifist liberal of […]

The U.S. Senate made some parliamentary moves that could pave the way for a Department of Energy manager from the Savannah River National Laboratory, Patricia Lee, to receive a voice vote on her nomination to the Defense Nuclear Facilities. A cloture motion was presented in the Senate Thursday on Lee’s nomination to become a member […]

After nearly a year of bicameral debate and dealing, the Senate on Tuesday passed a bill designed to ease exports of U.S. nuclear technology and reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, opposed only by two of the voting senators. The heavily amended Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which […]

Senators planned to vote Tuesday evening on a bill to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, create new federal waste-reporting requirements and ease adoption of U.S. nuclear power technology. The heavily amended Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, which includes a compromise version of the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 22-3 Friday to advance the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor with provisions that would authorize $25 billion to the National Nuclear Security Administration and $150 million to the Department of Energy’s nuclear energy activities. The Senate committee’s version of the national defense policy bill would […]

The House considered, and passed 217-199, a version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act this week that includes a provision to restore nuclear capabilities to the B-52 bomber, but not an amendment restoring the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala., on behalf of Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), proposed an amendment Wednesday […]

President Joe Biden’s administration objected Tuesday to a provision in the House Committee on Armed Services version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that would ban Chinese or Russian nationals entry into nuclear weapons facilities and national security laboratories. The statement cites Section 3111 of the H.R. 8070 version of the National Defense […]

The House Appropriations Committee is recommending a $324 million cut to the U.S. Air Force’s research and development request of $3.7 billion for the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel future intercontinental ballistic missile. “This decrease is the result of insufficient justification and program uncertainty for execution needs in fiscal year 2025,” according to the House Appropriations […]

A top National Security Council official said Friday at an Arms Control Association conference  the United States will need to employ a more assertive nuclear strategy in light of the posture being taken by Russia and China. Pranay Vaddi, special assistant to President Joe Biden and senior director for arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation at […]

The House Rules Committee passed its version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act 217-199 on Friday after a three-day debate among members on around 350 amendments. The bill includes provisions that restore the B-52 bomber’s nuclear capabilities, codifies the National Nuclear Security Administration as the lead in strategizing against smuggling nuclear materials, and requires […]

The House Rules Committee voted Wednesday to consider a version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that includes a provision to restore nuclear capabilities to the B-52 bomber, but not an amendment restoring the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), on behalf of Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), proposed an amendment to […]

Lawmakers will debate a version of the National Defense Authorization Act that allocates $25 billion in funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration as both the House and the Senate look at the bill this week in closed markups. The House Rules Committee debated H.R. 8070, the House version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization […]

President Joe Biden’s administration objected Tuesday to a provision in the  House Committee on Armed Services version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that would ban Chinese or Russian nationals entry into nuclear weapons facilities and national security laboratories. The statement cites Section 3111 of the H.R. 8070 version of the National Defense […]

A top National Security Council official said Friday at an Arms Control Association conference  the United States will need to employ a more assertive nuclear strategy in light of the posture being taken by Russia and China. In a separate speech at the same event, House Armed Services Committee member, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), said […]

Here are some events related to civilian nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking this week. June 12: Hybrid public meeting, Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Idaho Cleanup Project. Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center, 777 Bannock Avenue, Fort Hall, Idaho. Streaming on Zoom. 11:00 a.m. Eastern time to 6:45 p.m.  Eastern time.  12: Hybrid […]

LOUISVILLE, KY. — The Department of Energy’s former chief information officer warns the federal government will become more demanding on cyber security requirements for contractors, and that it’s likely to be costly and time-consuming. “Agencies are updating policies,” Rocky Campione, vice president of cybersecurity and technology solutions for Boston Government Services, said here Wednesday. Campione […]

The bipartisan-supported Radiation Exposure Compensation Act will expire today June 7 barring last minute reauthorization, and some lawmakers continue to voice their dissatisfaction with an extension that would not expand the number of nuclear workers who might qualify. “I am disappointed that Speaker [Mike] Johnson sent the House home without taking action on RECA before […]

LOUISVILLE, KY. — The Department of Energy’s former chief information officer warns the federal government will become more demanding on cyber security requirements for contractors, and that it’s likely to be costly and time-consuming. “Agencies are updating policies,” Rocky Campione, vice president of cybersecurity and technology solutions for Boston Government Services, said here Wednesday. Campione […]

The bipartisan-supported Radiation Exposure Compensation Act will expire today June 7 barring last minute reauthorization, and some lawmakers continue to voice their dissatisfaction with an extension that would not expand the number of nuclear workers who might qualify. “I am disappointed that Speaker [Mike] Johnson sent the House home without taking action on RECA before […]