National Security Legislative Wrap-Up

Congress is in recess for the 4th of July holiday. Last week, the Senate finally completed approval of the Supplemental Appropriations Bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House Appropriations Committee approved the annual Energy and Water funding bill that includes nuclear weapons work and non-proliferation funding. The Senate failed to complete action on the new wiretapping bill approved by the House.

KEY 2008 NATIONAL SECURITY BILLS

FISCAL YEAR 2009 ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL

On June 17, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee marked up or wrote its annual bill that included $33.3 billion for Fiscal Year 2009. It cut all funds for the Reliable Replacement Warhead and prohibited any spending for the project. The Subcommittee also cut the $302 million requested for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership to $120 million and restricted the use of the remaining funds, recommended no funding (a cutof $145 million) for the manufacture of new nuclear weapons pits (which are the core of the weapons), and no funds (a cut of $100 million) for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Facility Replacement. The committee increased funding for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative from $220 million to $407 million, Non-Proliferation and International Security from $140 million to $185 million and international nuclear materials protection and cooperation from $4! 30 million to $609 million.

On June 25, the full House Appropriations Committee approved the bill as reported by the Subcommittee.

The Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee tentatively scheduled its mark-up for July 8 with a full Committee mark-up for July 10.

SANCTIONS ON IRAN/RUSSIA "123" NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

The House of Representatives may consider a resolution introduced by Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Mike Pence (R-IN) that has more than 200 sponsors. H.Con.Res. 362 is non-binding resolution that demands that President Bush initiate an international effort to prohibit petroleum exports to Iran and impose stringent inspections on everything entering or departing Iran. Some view a potential blockade as an act of war. The Senate version is S. Res. 580, introduced in the Senate by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and John Thune (R-SD) that currently has 32 co-sponsors.

FISCAL YEAR 2008 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION BILL

On June 26, the Senate approved the bill by a vote of 92 - 6 and sent it to the President for signing.

FISCAL YEAR 2009 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL

The full Senate is likely to consider the bill sometime in July -- maybe.

NORTH KOREAN ASSISTANCE

As part of the completed fiscal year 2008/2009 Supplemental Appropriations to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congress tacked on a waiver to the 1994 Glenn amendment, an amendment which limited the United States' ability to provide financial assistance to North Korea for dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program. The waiver was an arcane but crucial step in enabling further progress to be made on removing nuclear materials and shutting down North Korea's Yongbyon reactor. Up until now, the Glenn amendment had hindered the Department of Energy from funding work to verify and assist North Korea in disabling and dismantling its nuclear weapons programs.