Tony Thurmond: “I rise to clarify the intent of section 3135 of the Senate's 1996 National Defense Authorization Act which provides $50…”

“I rise to clarify the intent of section 3135 of the Senate's 1996 National Defense Authorization Act which provides $50 million for the preparation of hydronuclear experiments below a 4 pound TNT explosive equivalent at the Nevada test site. This provision does not authorize hydronuclear experiments. So there is no problem with this part of Senator Exon's amendment. Furthermore, this provision does not amend or repeal the requirements of section 507 of Public Law 102-377, which is also known as the Hatfield-Exon-Mitchell amendment on nuclear weapon testing. The amendment proposed by Senator Exon basically invokes the restrictions of the 1992 Hatfield-Exon-Mitchell amendment on U.S. nuclear weapons testing. It is my understanding that the Hatfield amendment was not meant to encompass hydronuclear experiments under 4 pounds. Therefore, as long as the proposed Exon amendment is not construed to make low yield hydronuclear experiments subject to the Hatfield amendment's ban on all nuclear weapons testing after September 30, 1996, I would have no problem with the second portion of Senator Exon's amendment. I would like to make some further remarks pertaining to section 3135. The Senate passed this provision as an element of the Thurmond-Domenici amendment to the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act on August 4, 1995. On that same day, after vigorous debate, the Senate rejected an attempt to remove this provision from the bill by a vote of 56 to 44.”