The Government Accountability Office said in a report last week that the National Nuclear Security Administration “does not clearly communicate” its needs to Congress on risks to its industrial base.
The industrial base includes the supply chain, facilities, transportation and workforce “that combine to maintain the stockpile,” the highlights of the report said.
The report was filed with the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and Armed Services.
Teresa Robbins, acting administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), agreed to the Office’s recommendations in a letter included in the report. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended the administrator ensure reporting to the national security enterprise’s (NSE) industrial base includes clear information on risks, and includes an assessment on any additional resources needed to address the risks, all of which GAO says are required by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal 2022.
Robbins concurred “in principle” with the first recommendation and said that starting with the fiscal 2023 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan, NNSA began reporting on industrial base risks as required by the 2022 NDAA.
“NNSA plans to describe the actions being taken to prioritize NSE industrial base risks to enhance the clarity and completeness of reporting and more fully meet the FY 2022 NDAA requirements,” Robbins said. She added that NNSA would include this, as well as an assessment of any additional tools needed, in the fiscal 2026 stockpile stewardship plan, which is estimated to go out Sept. 30.
