[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of 
my remarks at the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and 
Water Development be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                National Nuclear Security Administration

       We're here today to review the president's fiscal year 2016 
     budget request for the National Nuclear Security 
     Administration, which is a semi-autonomous agency within the 
     Department of Energy that is responsible for managing our 
     nuclear weapons stockpile, reducing global dangers posed by 
     weapons of mass destruction, and providing the Navy with safe 
     and effective nuclear propulsion.
       This is the subcommittee's third hearing this year on the 
     president's budget request, and I look forward to hearing our 
     witnesses' testimony.
       The NNSA, has an important national security mission, but 
     faces many challenges. That's why we need to do what we were 
     sent here to do--to govern.
       Governing is about setting priorities, and we are going to 
     have to make some hard decisions this year to make sure the 
     highest priorities are funded.
       The president's 2016 budget request for defense spending is 
     about $38 billion higher than what is allowed under the 
     spending caps in the Budget Control Act.
       In fact, if spending this year is consistent with the 
     Budget Control Act, fully funding NNSA's budget request alone 
     would require almost the entire increase in defense spending 
     for all defense programs--including the Department of 
     Defense.
       We will work with Senator Cochran and Senator Mikulski to 
     increase the subcommittee's defense spending allocation, but 
     we're going to need your help to understand the NNSA's most 
     urgent priorities, and that is why we are holding this 
     hearing.
       I'd like to focus my questions on three main areas, all 
     with an eye toward setting priorities:
       Keeping large construction projects on time and on budget; 
     Senator Feinstein and I have worked pretty hard on that.
       Effectively maintaining our nuclear weapons stockpile; and
       Supporting our nuclear Navy.
       The NNSA is responsible for three of the largest 
     construction projects in the federal government: the Uranium 
     Processing Facility in Tennessee; the MOX Fuel Fabrication 
     Facility in South Carolina; and the Plutonium Facility in New 
     Mexico.
       Combined, these projects could cost as much as $20 billion 
     dollars to build, and over the past four years, Senator 
     Feinstein and I have worked hard with the NNSA to keep costs 
     from skyrocketing and to make sure hard-earned taxpayer 
     dollars are spent wisely. We need to make sure these projects 
     are on time and on budget.
       Senator Feinstein and I have focused much of our oversight 
     on the Uranium Processing Facility, because costs had 
     increased every time we would get a status update.
       Three years ago, we began holding regular meetings with the 
     NNSA administrator and his team.
       We said we wanted 90 percent design completed before we 
     began construction and urged the NNSA to take aggressive 
     steps to get costs under control.
       The administrator asked Thom Mason, the laboratory director 
     for Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to head a Red 
     Team to review the project. The result of that review may be 
     a model for how to keep these kinds of projects on time and 
     on budget.
       The Red Team's report included 17 recommendations, nearly 
     all of which the NNSA has now adopted, to keep the uranium 
     facility within a $6.5 billion budget with completion by 
     2025.
       Based on these recommendations, the Uranium Facility will 
     now consist of at least two buildings--one with high security 
     and one with less security--with construction of these 
     buildings to begin once their design is at 90 percent.
       As I understand it, NNSA recently completed a portion of 
     the site preparation for this project under budget by $10 
     million. That's a good start, but there's a lot more work to 
     be done.
       I'm going to ask you more today about the uranium facility, 
     particularly about your schedule for completing the design 
     and when you anticipate construction can begin.
       I also want to ask you about how you are applying the 
     lessons we learned from the Red Team Review Team and to the 
     other big construction projects, and look forward to any 
     updates you can provide.
       General Klotz, I know you plan to go to Tennessee tomorrow 
     to see the progress on this project. I appreciate your hands-
     on approach to making sure this important project is 
     delivered on time and on budget.
       Another large portion of the budget request is the work 
     NNSA is doing to maintain our nuclear weapons stockpile, and 
     I want to make sure we are spending taxpayer dollars 
     effectively.
       The budget request includes $1.3 billion to continue the 
     four ongoing life extension programs, which fix or replace 
     components in weapons systems to make sure they're safe and 
     reliable.
       These life extension programs are needed but they are very 
     expensive, and I will ask you today whether you will be able 
     to meet your production deadlines on time and on budget.
       Naval Reactors is responsible for all aspects of the 
     nuclear reactors that power submarines and aircraft carriers. 
     Naval Reactors is currently designing a new reactor core that 
     will not need to be refueled during the life of the ship.
       This work will save taxpayers billions of dollars because 
     we won't have to build two extra submarines to make up for 
     those that are not in service when they are being refueled.
       The small nuclear reactors that Naval Reactors designs have 
     had an impeccable safety record for more than 60 years; there 
     has never been a reactor accident.
       I also want to hear more about your plans for storing the 
     Navy's used nuclear fuel.
       We talked a lot in our hearing last week with the Nuclear 
     Regulatory Commission about Yucca Mountain and storing used 
     nuclear fuel from commercial reactors, and I'd like to hear 
     from you how this issue impacts your operations.
       With that, I would recognize Senator Feinstein to make her 
     opening statement.

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