Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

U.S. SENATOR Jeff Bingaman

Monday, February 1, 2010

Contact Senator Bingaman's Office:

Jude McCartin
Maria Najera
703 Hart Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5521

Bingaman: President Obama's Increased DOE Budget Supports Labs' Initiatives

WASHINGTON – In a budget proposal that caps much of the federal government's discretionary spending at 2010 levels, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman said he is pleased that the Department of Energy budget is being given priority with important increases  in funding – a move that demonstrates the Obama administration's commitment to scientific innovation and nuclear nonproliferation.

President Obama today unveiled his budget blueprint for 2011 – a plan that increases DOE spending in New Mexico by 12.7 percent.  Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has called the Energy Secretary Steven Chu to testify about the budget on before the panel on Thursday, February 4.

"This budget blueprint is a powerful statement of the priority that President Obama is giving to energy, our national competitiveness, and nuclear weapons security.  In short, it is a budget that strongly supports the important work being done at Sandia and Los Alamos laboratories," Bingaman said.

"On nearly every major initiative in the DOE, President Obama's proposal gets it right.  I hope that this budget receives vigorous support from everyone who cares deeply about securing our nation's energy future, boosting our economic growth, and combating nuclear nonproliferation," he added.

The president's budget request would result in about $4.59 billion of spending from all DOE programs in New Mexico in fiscal year 2011, up from the $4.07 billion Congress appropriated for this fiscal year.  Under the budget proposal, LANL would receive $2.22 billion, a 22 percent increase over this year's $1.82 billion budget; Sandia would receive $1.49 billion, a 14 percent increase over this year's $1.31 billion budget.

DOE increases at New Mexico laboratories are not only in the traditional areas of nuclear weapons activities and nuclear non-proliferation, but also in civilian programs that support basic science research.

In the defense area, the two New Mexico laboratories will share a nearly 19 percent increase in funding for Nuclear Weapons Activities, including major increases in the following three key areas:

• a 40 percent jump in funding for Directed Stockpile Work, which is proposed to increase to a combined total of $982 million from the current combined level of $697 million;
• a 264 percent increase in Defense Nuclear Security, which increases to a New Mexico total of $231 million from the current $183 million; and
• a 23 percent increase in Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities, which is proposed to increase to $727 million from $593 million.

"President Obama clearly recognizes what many of us in New Mexico have felt in recent years -- that our laboratories and nuclear weapons facilities have been undervalued.  I am pleased that the president is taking this decisive action to reverse the slow and steady decline he found when he came into office."

The 2011 budget request also contains a 26 percent increase, or more than $500 million in new funding, for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation activities throughout the DOE.  This initiative will translate to a nearly 13 percent increase for these programs in New Mexico, rising to a total of $657 million from the current level of $582 million.

"With the president's April 2009 announcement that he would like to secure all the vulnerable nuclear material around the world within the next 4 years, we face huge challenges in nuclear nonproliferation worldwide.  This funding increase is a strong follow-through on that commitment, which is essential to our national security," Bingaman said.

One downside in the budget is the administration's zeroing out of LANL's funding for upgrades at Los Alamos Science Neutron Center, which is a one-of-a-kind tool used for weapons diagnostics.   The administration also proposed cutting the program last year, but the delegation was able to secure $20 million for the upgrade.

"We were successful in turning back the administration last year, and I intend to fight for LANSCE again this year," Bingaman said.  "Much of the president's stockpile stewardship budget relies on work performed by LANSCE.  I plan to make a strong argument to the administration that this upgrade is needed."

Beyond the traditional nuclear security missions of the New Mexico laboratories, the FY 2010 DOE Budget Request will bring increases in other areas of special competence for the New Mexico laboratories.  This includes a projected 33 percent increase in funding for civilian nuclear energy research and development (R&D) programs, which will rise to $80.6 million from the current level of $60.3 million.  The New Mexico laboratories will also share in the growth of the other DOE civilian R&D programs, with particular increases projected by the DOE for programs in geothermal energy, carbon dioxide sequestration, and nuclear physics.

Other highlights for New Mexico:

• Environmental management – Waste Isolation Pilot Project
• $233 million; LANL cleanup $197 million.