138th Year... and still on the job!	Friday May 19, 2006

By JOHN NORTON
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

The head of a state panel overseeing the destruction of Pueblo's chemical weapons stockpile said Thursday he was concerned about a House of Representatives plan to cut the program's budget, but is more optimistic following a conversation with Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.

John Klomp, chairman of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Program Citizens' Advisory Commission, said that Allard assured him that he would work to keep the funding in the Senate version of the defense appropriations bill and continue to fight for it when the bill goes to conference.

The House Appropriations Committee reportedly has approved a subcommittee's action to cut $40 million from the $131 million requested next year in the chemical demilitarization programs here and at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky. Both sites will use water neutralization to destroy stockpiles of weapons.

The Pueblo Chemical Depot holds 2,611 tons of mustard agent in mortar rounds and artillery shells.

Allard, as well as Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have been fighting the Pentagon for two years to keep money flowing into the projects and the Defense Department has been more supportive this year.

What made Klomp hopeful was that Allard and McConnell both serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee and Allard is on the conference committee that works out conflicts between House and Senate versions of bills. Allard also sits on the Senate counterpart of the House panel that initiated the cut.

Both senators were angry over the House committee's action.

McConnell called the move "unacceptable."

Allard said Thursday, "After nearly two years of fighting to get the Department of Defense back on board, the House has undercut our entire effort. These House funding cuts in the President's request for the ACWA program were outrageous and irresponsible.

“If allowed to stand, these cuts could set the ACWA program back at least a year or more, and make it all but impossible for our nation to comply with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

"As a member of the Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee, I will make sure that the Senate fully funds the president's (military construction) request for the ACWA program," Allard said. "I will also be on the Senate-House milcon conference committee and will use all of my power to beat back the House’s irresponsible funding cuts for this program."