HOUSE STRATEGIC FORCES TO MARK UP DEF. AUTHORIZATION ACT WEDNESDAY

The National Nuclear Security Administration and the Office of Environmental Management will get their first glimpse of how Congressional lawmakers will go about funding their organizations as the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee will mark up its portion of the National Defense Authorization Act at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Room 2212 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Notably, the panel last year made waves by drafting language in the bill that would have reformed the NNSA by increasing the agency’s authority, moving the agency toward performance-based oversight, eliminating oversight by DOE’s Office of Health, Safety and Security, and streamlining directives and regulations. The panel’s initiatives ran into opposition from the Administration, labor unions and Senate lawmakers, and a Congressionally mandated panel was created as a bipartisan compromise over the legislation. The panel is expected to continue its efforts to increase the NNSA’s productivity and efficiency this year, but with smaller steps as the Congressional panel does its work.