NEW CR WOULD ALLOW START FOR NNSA GOVERNANCE STUDY

The new Continuing Resolution unveiled by House appropriators yesterday would allow a study on NNSA governance to get started. The Congressionally mandated study, which is funded by $3 million in Pentagon funds authorized as part of the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Authorization Act, had stalled due to limits on beginning a program under the existing CR. The new stopgap funding measure would not include the same restrictions on Department of Defense “new starts” because it rolls in the Defense Appropriations Act. The 12-member panel was required to start its work by March 1, file an interim report 180 days after the enactment of the bill, and complete its report Feb. 1, 2014. Thus far, only one member has been named to the panel: former New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson (R). Wilson was appointed by House Speaker John Boehner late last week, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Wilson spent 10 years in Congress, and unsuccessfully ran against Martin Heinrich (D) for Jeff Bingaman’s Senate seat last year. Since leaving Congress, she has done consulting work for Sandia National Laboratories, Nevada National Security Site contractor National Security Technologies, LLC, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.