Nuke Budget May Rise 10 Percent

Nuke Budget May Rise 10 Percent
By John Fleck | Albuquerque Journal

The Obama administration is preparing to ask Congress for a 10 percent increase in the U.S. nuclear weapons budget, according to an internal memo.

The National Nuclear Security Administration's budget for nuclear weapons research, development, maintenance and manufacturing would rise to $7 billion in 2010, up from $6.38 billion this year, according to a Dec. 22 memo from Energy Secretary Steven Chu to the Office of Management and Budget.

The weapons program funds work at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, which together employ about 20,000 New Mexicans....The proposed funding increase comes as the Obama administration is trying to win support for a new arms control treaty with the Russians....In addition to the increase in nuclear weapons spending, the administration also anticipates asking for a 26 percent hike in spending on nuclear nonproliferation programs, to $2.7 billion, according to the memo. Read more.