136th Year... and
still on the job!
Thursday July 22, 2004
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136th Year... and
still on the job!
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Thursday July 22, 2004
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Congress is expected today to restore more than one-third of the money needed for design and construction of a plant to destroy chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.
The money had been cut from the Pentagon's budget when defense officials feared the plan was getting too expensive.
Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said Wednesday that House and Senate conferees had concluded work on the fiscal year 2005 defense appropriations bill, and both houses are expected to vote on the measure today.
The bill includes $50 million to fund work at the Pueblo depot, where the Army is under a treaty deadline to destroy 2,600 tons of mustard agent munitions.
The program was scheduled to receive $147 million in next year's budget, but the Pentagon asked for only $5 million after it said studies showed that the accelerated destruction program was going to be too expensive.
Local officials complained that it was Congress that wanted the destruction speeded up for national security reasons.
Allard said he is hopeful that the full $147 million will be available through future appropriations measures.
The Senate already has endorsed that amount and Allard said, "I have secured a commitment from (Senate Appropriations) Chairman Ted Stevens that the funding needed to continue and complete the project will be provided through the Appropriations Committee as we move forward."