Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) yesterday criticized the Department of Energy’s emphasis on weapons programs in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget request and is expected to work to boost funds for nonproliferation and cleanup programs. Feinstein yesterday pressed DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz on the issue at a subcommittee budget hearing. “The priorities you lay out, Mr. Secretary, for national security programs in this year’s budget request demand an explanation,” she said. “The budget request makes nuclear weapons and naval reactor programs the highest priority at the expense of nonproliferation and environmental cleanup activities. It is hard for me to understand why we would cut programs to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists, especially when Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have repeatedly shown interest in acquiring weapons-grade material.”
The FY’15 budget request includes about $8.3 billion for weapons activities, a $533 million increase, but includes only about $1.5 billion for nonproliferation programs, a decrease of nearly $400 million. DOE Office of Environmental Management funding stands at about $5.6 billion, a $209 million decrease. “We had to make some tough choices, and that appeared in many places,” Moniz said, noting progress in recent years on nonproliferation efforts. “I think we have accomplished a tremendous amount, there has been a surge in the last four years where 12 countries has all HEU removed from them. We will continue that program and I can assure that I personally and the president are very much committed to the nonproliferation program and we hope that the resources allow us to accelerate.”
