The proposed federal budget submitted by President Bush Monday includes no money for the disposal of chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.

Colorado Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar have now joined in the effort to put pressure on the Defense Department to not only include money for the disposal project, but to make sure that  $50 million appropriated this fiscal year, is used at the Chemical Depot in Pueblo.  "My hope was we'll get a favorable response to this but again, my main concern is to be sure that we can protect the $50 million and other dollars that we've appropriated for the sole purpose of using there at the Pueblo Depot," Senator Allard said on Wednesday.

Last month the Defense Department put spending at the Pueblo facility on hold and started investigating transporting the thousands of pounds of chemical weapons to another facility for disposal.  The option is illegal under current law. 

Allard and Salazar say they will urge the Department of Defense to move quickly to move quickly to build a disposal plant in Pueblo and they say they will continue to oppose moving the weapons.