FY 2014 Appropriations: National Nuclear Security Administration

The FY 2014 appropriations cycle is coming to a close. On Monday evening the text of an almost 1,600 page bill was released that was the product of intense negotiations between the House and Senate Appropriations Committees since a budget agreement was announced in December. The omnibus bill, consisting of twelve separate appropriations bills, was passed by the House yesterday by a wide margin, is now being considered by Senate, and will be sent to President Obama within the next few days.

Accompanying the omnibus bill is an Explanatory Statement detailing program funding levels and new language about various programs. Under congressional protocol, previous report language for the House and Senate versions of their FY 2014 bills regarding the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) stands unless it is contradicted by new language in the just-issued Explanatory Statement. The Statement is not in final form as it includes hand-written notations. The extensive section on NNSA is found on PDF pages 70-75, with funding tables on PDF pages 84-87.

The following language and program funding levels are taken from the just-released Explanatory Statement. The Explanatory Statement does not include current FY 2013 funding levels; those shown are from the FYI describing the House report referenced above. Note that the committee reports and the Explanatory Statement did not include post-sequestration program funding levels for FY 2013 (generally an 8 percent reduction.)

TOTAL NNSA:

The FY 2013 budget (not including the mandatory 8 percent reduction) is $11,501.6 million
The FY 2014 request was $11,652.5 million
The FY 2014 agreement provides $11,207.0 million

The Explanatory Statement includes language on Additional Actions to Address Security of Nuclear Materials.

WEAPONS ACTIVITIES:

The FY 2013 budget (not including the 8 percent mandatory reduction) is $7,577.3 million
The FY 2014 request was $7,868.4 million
The FY 2014 agreement provides $7,845.0 million (including a rescission of $64.0 million of prior-year balances)

The Explanatory Statement includes language on the B61-12 stockpile; the B83 gravity bomb; the B61 life extension program; Insensitive High Explosives; W78 Life Extension Program; Production Support; Tritium Readiness; Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield Campaign; Advanced Simulation and Computing Campaign; Readiness in Technical Base and Facilities; Uranium Processing Facility; Site Stewardship; Safeguards and Security; and Domestic Uranium Enrichment Research, Development and Demonstration.

DEFENSE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION:

The FY 2013 budget (not including the mandatory 8 percent reduction) is $2,434.3 million
The FY 2014 request was $2,140.1 million
The FY 2014 agreement provides $1,954.0 million

The Explanatory Statement includes language on Nonproliferation and International Security, Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility, and Global Threat Initiative.