MCCONNELL URGES FEDERAL WATCHDOG AGENCY
TO "CLOSELY MONITOR" DOD'S FUNDING OF CHEM WEAPONS DISPOSAL IN KY & CO
Senator Says Pentagon's Past Actions of Impounding Funds "Brazenly Violates
the Political Norms of the Congressional Budget and Appropriations Process."
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took
an additional and forceful step today in his continuing efforts to ensure
full funding of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program
at the Blue Grass KY and Pueblo CO Army Depots.
After successfully including what he calls " a legislative
measure far from routine"--a provision (§1016 of PL 109-13) in the FY
2005 Supplemental Appropriations Bill--requiring the Pentagon to expend already
obligated funds for the two weapons disposal programs, Sen. McConnell still
isn't comfortable with the Pentagon's intentions to follow the law.
In today's letter to Comptroller General of the Government
Accountability Office (GAO), David Walker, the Senator calls on the GAO to
closely watchdog the Pentagon's compliance with the provision which forbids
diverting prior-year ACWA monies to other sites and also forces the Department
to immediately spend $100 million on the KY and CO programs within 120 days.
In direct and strong language, Sen. McConnell outlines
for the GAO the Pentagon's "current predisposition against" and "hostile
intent toward" the two ACWA sites. He accuses the Pentagon of trying
"to put the ACWA sites on hold and to divert funds" in order to pay for cost
overruns at the other weapons disposal sites. He calls this ploy a
"policy decision to sacrifice [treaty] compliance at the ACWA sites in order
to try to comply as fully as possible at the non-ACWA sites."
The letter advises the GAO that any delay in compliance
with the recent provision, should be "presumptively viewed as willful obstruction
on the part of DOD."
Supported by documented examples of the Pentagon's
clear and continuing intent to impound ACWA funds in order "to meet its policy
goals," the Senator strongly urges GAO to treat any delay in compliance as
"an illegal policy impoundment, thus triggering GAO's enforcement powers..."
Recently Sen. McConnell has commented, "I told the
residents of Madison that I would watch DOD like a hawk and I am fulfilling
that promise."
Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working
Group (CWWG) applauded this latest in a series of actions taken by the Senator.
"This letter tiptoes right up to the line of accusing the Pentagon of violating
federal law in their previous actions surrounding the freezing of funds for
disposal efforts in Kentucky and Colorado," said Williams. "It doesn't
specifically state any illegal activity has occurred, but it certainly lets
the Pentagon know that if they continue to act as in the past, an investigation
surrounding the legality of such actions could be initiated immediately."
Earlier this year it was the CWWG who released documents
showing the Pentagon's intentions to gut funding at the two ACWA sites. They
(CWWG) questioned the legality of such actions contending they were "beyond
the Pentagon's authority."
"Senator McConnell's request to the GAO places an additional
and extraordinary level of oversight on Pentagon decisions effecting chemical
weapons disposal in Kentucky and Colorado," said Williams.
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Copies of the letter and accompanying documents are available from
the CWWG office upon request.
