NNSA Would Get Boost in House Version of FY 2016 NDAA

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons program would get a significant boost in the House version of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act as the markup released by the House Armed Services Committee yesterday authorizes $9.08 billion for the program, up from the $8.84 billion requested by the Obama Administration. A large chunk of the authorized increase would go toward accelerating work on deferred maintenance and physical security projects. The bill, which will be marked up Wednesday by the full House Armed Services Committee, would authorize $407 million for recapitalization, a $150 million increase over the President’s request, and $251 million for maintenance, a $24 million boost over the request. The NNSA has a $3.6 billion backlog of deferred maintenance, and a $1.4 billion backlog of physical security upgrades.

 

Last week, House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said he was “appalled” at the conditions at many NNSA sites. “I think it’s safe to say that Pakistan’s nuclear scientists have better facilities than our nuclear workforce in some circumstances,” Rogers said. “In some cases, we are one crumbling chunk of Manhattan Era roofing away from the death of a worker and the shutdown of this nation’s nuclear weapons capability.” The bill would also require the NNSA to submit a 10-year plan to Congress by Sept. 30, 2016, for recapitalizing the weapons complex’s physical security systems.