{"id":42787,"date":"2020-07-07T20:05:29","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T20:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/07\/07\/house-panel-blocks-pentagon-from-extra-sway-over-nuke-budget\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:30:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:30:19","slug":"house-panel-blocks-pentagon-from-extra-sway-over-nuke-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2020\/07\/07\/house-panel-blocks-pentagon-from-extra-sway-over-nuke-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"House panel would block Pentagon from extra sway over nuclear weapons budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 House appropriators on Tuesday approved a spending bill that would block plans<\/a> from defense hawks to give the Pentagon a stronger hand in crafting nuclear weapons budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House Appropriations Energy & Water Development Subcommittee passed their bill, which contained the provision, by a voice vote. The $49.6 billion spending bill contained $13.7 billion for nuclear weapons accounts \u2015 a $1.2 billion increase over fiscal 2020 that\u2019s still $1.9 billion less than the president\u2019s request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead Republicans voiced opposition to the bill, arguing that Democrats had not consulted with Republicans on pandemic emergency funds in the bill and that Democrats included policy riders the White House will seek to cut. The top Republican on the subpanel, Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, said the bill \u201cstill shortchanges funding for the nuclear weapons program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile I acknowledge the increase above last year, we must also acknowledge that the threats we face today are not the same threats we faced in the years immediately following the end of the Cold War,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must adequately fund the activities necessary to maintain a safe, reliable and effective stockpile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill would bar funding for the Pentagon-led Nuclear Weapons Council, and would prevent it from assisting with the budget of the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous agency under the Energy Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate Armed Services Committee\u2019s version of the annual defense policy bill would allow the council to edit the budget request after the Energy Department crafts it and before the request is submitted to the White House budget office. The move was seen as giving the Pentagon extra sway to boost warhead programs and nuclear weapons laboratories.<\/p>\n\n\n\t