WASHINGTON—A Senate subcommittee gave its support Wednesday for development of "bunker busting" nuclear warheads and research into other advanced nuclear weapons technology, days after the House voted to cut funding for the same programs.
The Senate panel refused to cut any of the $68 million the Bush administration requested for the programs, which critics have argued would lead to development of a new generation of nuclear weapons and increase the likelihood of global nuclear proliferation.
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee dealing with nuclear program, said he expects further attempts on the Senate floor to cut money for the programs, but said he was confident the degree of cuts being pursued in the House "won't stand" when a final spending bill is written.
The nuclear programs are part of a $27.3 billion spending bill for the Energy Department and various other programs that Domenici's panel advanced for consideration by the full Appropriations Committee, likely later this week.
On Tuesday, the House counterpart panel advanced its own version of the spending legislation after Republican lawmakers, to the surprise of the Energy Department, cut most of the $68 million for the administration's advanced nuclear weapons research effort.
Domenici said he was shocked by the level of cuts in the House. "That won't stand," he told reporters.
The Senate bill includes all $15 million the administration has requested to study the development of an earth-penetrating nuclear warhead, a so-called bunker-buster; $6 million in early research into "mini-nukes" of less than 5 kilotons; and $25 million to shorten the lead time necessary to resume underground nuclear bomb testing from the current 36 months to 18 months.
The Senate bill also would provide all $22 million sought by the Energy Department to continue environmental studies for a manufacturing plant to make plutonium triggers for the existing nuclear arsenal. The department has said such a plant is needed to ensure adequate supplies of the plutonium triggers for the aging warhead arsenal.
The House spending bill would cut funding for the plutonium trigger plant in half, and cut the bunker-buster money by two-thirds, while eliminating the other funding.
No effort was made Wednesday in the Senate to cut spending for the programs. But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Ca., said she would try to get the money eliminated once the bill gets to the Senate floor.
"The wheels are beginning to grind toward the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons," she said, adding that the "mini-nukes" and bunker busting warheads will make nuclear weapons "more acceptable for use."
They make these weapons "appear just like other (conventional) weapons and they are not," she continued.
The United States has suspended bomb tests since 1992 and administration officials have said they see no reason at this time to resume testing, but only want to be better prepared to do so if there again is a need .
Energy Department officials were stunned by the cuts in the House committee and said they hope to get the money restored when the full House considers the bill, and will work to keep it in the Senate legislation.
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