House Armed Services Committe
Subcommittee Chairman Tauscher's Opening Statement --May 02, 2007

"The Strategic Forces Subcommittee meets today in open session to markup H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

"I'd like to begin by saying it has been a pleasure working with my friend, Mr. Everett, in crafting this mark. As he was able to say of Mr. Reyes last year, I can say of him as the Ranking Member this year - he has been both cooperative and straightforward. Thank you, Mr. Everett.

"I would also like to thank the other members of the subcommittee and their staffs for their contributions and participation in the process; this is truly a team product. And the product itself would not have been possible without the good work of the subcommittee staff, including: Bob DeGrasse, Rudy Barnes, Kari Bingen, Adrienne Ramsay, Eryn Robinson, and Frank Rose. Thank you all for the hard work and long hours involved in putting this mark together.

"The subcommittee's mark includes approximately $51.4 billion in programs within the budget request, including:

$9.5 billion for ballistic missile defense programs;
$9.3 billion for the military space programs; and
$14.2 billion Department of Energy Atomic Energy Defense Activities, not including defense nuclear nonproliferation.

"All told, the subcommittee mark is $1.3 billion below the budget request for these programs.

"The subcommittee received 133 separate member requests for adds totaling just over $1.7 billion. The mark accommodates 38 of them with $654.2 million in adds.

"With the cooperation of the minority, we have incorporated four broad priorities into the mark:

First, the mark is designed to create a public discussion about future requirements for nuclear weapons by establishing a congressionally-appointed, bipartisan congressional commission to re-evaluate the U.S. strategic posture;
Second, it slows Department of Energy nuclear weapons initiatives including development of a Reliable Replacement Warhead and construction of a new plutonium production facility. In part, these actions are taken to make room for the public re-evaluation of our nuclear posture;
Third, the mark funds ballistic missile defense systems that will protect the American people, our deployed troops and allies against real threats. We do so by redirecting funding from investment in less mature, high-risk ballistic missile defense efforts; and
Finally, it boosts funding for space capabilities that deliver near term benefits to the warfighter and that improve space situational awareness and survivability. These actions are particularly important in light of the recent Chinese ASAT test.

"In ballistic missile defense programs, the mark reflects our support for addressing real, near-term missile threats facing the warfighter - short and medium-range missiles - and making only prudent investments in high-risk, immature programs. It fully funds the Army's missile defense budget request for the Patriot PAC-3 missile, including funds for the Patriot "Pure Fleet" initiative.

"As it has been in the past, the subcommittee is concerned with striking the right balance between the technical risks that accompany long-term technology development efforts and providing increased capability to the warfighter in the near future.

"Consequently, the mark shifts funds to programs with greater near-term capability for the warfighter such as Aegis BMD and THAAD, and makes reductions to several programs that are less mature or involve higher technical risk.

"Overall, the mark reduces the Missile Defense Agency budget request of $8.9 billion by about $764 million by taking the following amounts from programs that are either less mature or higher risk:

$160 million from the proposed third ground-based midcourse defense site in Europe;
$400 million from the Airborne Laser program;
$85 million from the Space Tracking and Surveillance System;
$80 million from Multiple Kill Vehicle; and
$10 million from the proposed Space Test-Bed.

"The mark provides increased funding for missile defense programs that offer near-term warfighter benefits, including:

$36 million for Aegis SM-3 interceptor production;
$20 million for Aegis facility enhancements;
$10 million for Aegis signal processor upgrades; and
$12 million for additional Patriot PAC-3 missiles.

"The mark includes the following legislative provisions relating to missile defense:

Authorizes an independent study to examine the future roles and missions of the Missile Defense Agency;
Extends for two years the requirement for GAO to annually assess the missile defense program; and
Ensures that the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation has access to all MDA operational test evaluation information.

"Regarding military space programs, as was the case a year ago, this mark reflects concern about whether certain programs can be executed on the schedules and within the cost estimates included in the budget. The mark also reflects the subcommittee's determination to focus on near-term warfighter needs and to address vulnerabilities in space situational awareness and satellite protection that have not been addressed over the past several years.

"Consequently, the mark makes reductions including:

$200 million from the Alternate Infrared Satellite System;
$150 million from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) III; and
$80 million from High Integrity GPS.

"The mark provides increased funding for several programs, including:

$100 million to support future procurement of a fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite;
$40 million to support future procurement of GPS II-F satellites 13 through 15;
$100 million to support future procurement of the fourth Space Based Infrared Satellite System (SBIRS) satellite;
$63 million for modernized GPS user equipment;
$30 million for operationally responsive space capabilities; and
$130 million for space situational awareness (SSA) and space control capabilities.

"The mark includes the following legislative provisions in military space programs:

Directs the DOD and the Director of National Intelligence to develop a 'Space Protection Strategy' analyzing current and future SSA and space control capabilities; and
Restricts the DOD from eliminating the space-based Nuclear Detection System from future national security satellite architectures;

"In the area of strategic and intelligence programs, the mark includes a legislative provision that would prohibit retirement of the U-2 aircraft until DOD certifies to Congress that the U-2 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability is not required to mitigate any of the ISR gaps identified in the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.

"The mark also reduces funding for the Conventional Trident Modification (CTM) program, and limits available funding to amounts associated with research and development on the system. The committee sees promise in CTM, but is concerned over targeting doctrine and sees a need for additional effort to ensure that a conventional missile launch from a Trident submarine is not misinterpreted as a nuclear attack by other countries.

"For Department of Energy (DOE) national security programs, the mark fully funds the budget request, including $6.5 billion for nuclear weapons activities and $5.4 billion for defense environmental cleanup programs.

"The mark for DOE weapons activities should be understood in light of the proposed commission on U.S. strategic posture. This commission is designed to help frame the debate over the future direction of our nuclear weapons program, and place it in the context of related strategic considerations.

"In that spirit, the mark directs DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to "walk before they run" with modernization of the nuclear weapons stockpile and the weapons complex. Toward that end, the mark limits use of all RRW funds to Phase 2a design and cost study activities. The mark also takes specific reductions:

$45.0 million from the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program, including:
$20.0 million from the NNSA's request of $88.8 million;
$25.0 million from the Navy's request of $30.0 million; and
$24.9 million, the amount of the request, from the proposed Consolidated Plutonium Center; and
$4.2 million from the B-61 Life Extension Program (LEP), with direction to defer the start of any new LEP activity pending further evaluation of the RRW program.

"The mark directs several funding increases to strengthen the Stockpile Stewardship Program and the nuclear weapons complex:

$25.0 million for critical infrastructure maintenance and improvements at the Pantex and Y-12 plants;
$15.1 million for National Ignition campaign target design and assembly activities;
$5.0 million for the Advanced Simulation and Computing campaign; and
$4.0 million for the Enhanced Surveillance program.

"The mark also includes the following legislative provisions:

Directs NNSA to assess the feasibility of reusing existing plutonium pits in the RRW program;
Directs NNSA to evaluate the feasibility of accelerating warhead dismantlements;
Directs NNSA to evaluate the risks to the complex posed by physical and cyber security threats; and
Directs NNSA to evaluate options for potential changes to the management of the workforce providing security for the nuclear weapons complex.

"Finally, the mark recommends the amount of the budget request for the U.S. Surplus Fissile Materials Disposition program. The Russian counterpart effort and all other nuclear nonproliferation programs are covered at the full committee level. As such, I remind the subcommittee that any amendments relating to DOE nonproliferation programs will be addressed at the full committee markup.

"In closing, I believe this mark addresses our national security priorities across the critical areas within this subcommittee's jurisdiction. It also represents a good faith effort to address Member priorities in a bipartisan fashion. I strongly recommend its adoption.

"Mr. Everett and I have agreed that the Five Minute Rule will be in effect for mark-up. Let me now recognize my friend and colleague, Mr. Everett, the Ranking Member of the subcommittee."

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list

Military

House Armed Services Committe Subcommittee Chairman Tauscher's Opening Statement --May 02, 2007

House Armed Services Committe
Subcommittee Chairman Tauscher's Opening Statement --May 02, 2007