March 17, 2014

DEF. AUTH. AMENDMENT PROPOSES NATO COST SHARE ON B61 REFURBISHMENT

By ExchangeMonitor

With the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Authorization Act slated to be considered on the House floor later this week, House lawmakers sifted through hundreds of proposed amendments to the bill, including a measure drafted by Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) that would force NATO to pay for 50 percent of the cost of the B61 refurbishment program. The life extension program has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers over the last year as the estimated cost of the effort has grown to more than $10 billion, in part because approximately half of the estimated 400 bombs that would be refurbished are anticipated to replace weapons that are currently deployed in Europe.

House Democrats also appear set again to go after an attempt by Republicans to limit the implementation of the New START Treaty. Democrats failed to roll back a measure that would fence off more than $70 million for New START implementation last week at the House Armed Services Committee markup of the bill, but Reps. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) each proposed amendments to reinstate the funding cut, which drew a strong objection from the Obama Administration. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) also proposed an amendment that would preserve each ICBM missile silo in a “warm” status that would keep it as a functioning portion of the nation’s nuclear deterrent. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) also proposed an amendment that suggests the Administration should reveal the details of any proposed deals with Russia on missile defense or nuclear reductions, while Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) proposed an amendment that would expand the Pentagon’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program to the Middle East and North Africa, mirroring legislation unveiled last month by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (R-N.H.).

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