136th Year... and still on the job!	Monday May 10, 2004

Jump-start

EDITORIAL
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

IT WAS heartening news last week that Sen. Wayne Allard announced the Senate Armed Services Committee had voted to restore $147 million to the fiscal 2005 budget for the chemical demilitarization program at Pueblo Chemical Depot.

The Pentagon had asked for only $45 million in military construction funding for Pueblo next fiscal year, putting the timeline for completion of the project in limbo. Sen. Allard was able to persuade the Senate panel to accelerate the funding stream.

Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell has also been a strong supporter of the project, and he sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee where he can shepherd it through. And Rep. Joel Hefley of Colorado Springs is an influential member of the House Armed Services Committee which also will hear the request.

We appreciate any and all help that these members of the Colorado delegation can give to see that this job does not drag out interminably. And we appreciate Sen. Allard for going to bat for this project.