Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee hearing in late April, Graham said $149 million appropriated through reconciliation for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) had been “reprogrammed to Los Alamos pit production program,” Graham asked Wright whether he was aware of the shift. Wright responded that he was.
“How do you feel about that?” Graham asked, before answering his own question: “I don’t feel good about it.”
Graham, who also serves as the chairman to the Senate Budget Committee, also pointed to an additional $227 million intended for the Savannah River Site’s Tritium Facility that he said had been reprogrammed. While not detailing the full scope of the transfers during the exchange, the South Carolina Republican suggested multiple funding changes had deviated from congressional intent.
“Rather than go through the list, we got a bunch of money being reprogrammed,” Graham said. “That wasn’t the intent, and I’ll talk to you on the phone about it.”
The comments underscore persistent tensions surrounding the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) effort to accelerate plutonium pit production at both Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site, an approach lawmakers have backed to hedge against schedule delays or technical setbacks at either location.
Graham, a longtime advocate for Savannah River nuclear missions, stopped short of directly criticizing Wright, praising the secretary’s performance while emphasizing that appropriated funds should be spent as Congress intended.
“When we do things up here in terms of appropriating, we’ve appreciated people to follow it,” Graham said. “All of us.”