María Elvira Salazar: “I rise today to speak with respect to amendment No. 1326. to the Defense authorization bill, which was adopted by the…”

“I rise today to speak with respect to amendment No. 1326. to the Defense authorization bill, which was adopted by the Senate today, that directly affects the citizens of Pueblo, CO, and the cleanup of those chemical weapons stockpiled at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. I thank my colleagues, Senator Warner and Senator Levin, and their staffs, for their help on this measure. I thank, too, Senators McConnell and Bunning and my colleague from the great State of Colorado, Senator Allard. We have maintained an important alliance on this issue, and I appreciate their efforts. This bipartisan Pueblo amendment, which I am proud to cosponsor, moves $51 million from the Department of Defense's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation budget to the Military Construction budget for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program. This program, known as ACWA, is the authority for chemical weapons destruction at both the Pueblo Chemical Depot and the Bluegrass, KY, site. More than three-quarters of a million chemical weapons--mustard agent rounds--are stockpiled in the Pueblo Chemical Depot. These weapons are a threat to the security of the surrounding community. The United States has sworn to safely destroy these weapons before the 2012 deadline established by the Chemical Weapons Convention. Progress has been slow in the past but has recently been moving forward.…”