ADMINISTRATION UPS MODERNIZATION PLEDGE TO $85 B OVER NEXT DECADE

摘要

Revising previous estimates, the Obama Administration now says more than $85 billion will be needed over the next decade for the National Nuclear Security Administra-tion's weapons program, an amount that is designed to cover significant cost increases in the agency's two biggest construction projects as well as other priorities. The Administration detailed the increase in recent briefings with Congressional staff and, last week, in an update of the Congressionally mandated '1251 plan,' which was ob-tained by NW&MMonitor. The plan is designed to address the concerns of Senate Republicans, who have linked their support for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia to the Administration's commitment to modernize the nation's nuclear weapons complex and stockpile, and includes an additional $4.1 billion over the next five years for the agency's weapons program. It also includes an extra $600 million for what had previously been antici-pated as a flat budget for the weapons program in Fiscal Year 2012.