Tom Harkin: “I rise today in continuing concern over the National Ignition Facility, a massive stockpile stewardship facility being…”

“I rise today in continuing concern over the National Ignition Facility, a massive stockpile stewardship facility being built at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore Labs in California. This program has been beset by cost overruns, delays, and poor management. The House in its Energy & Water bill included $74.1 million for construction of NIF. The Senate adopted an amendment I offered that capped spending at the same level, and also requested an independent review of the project from the National Academy of Sciences. I know the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee each have their own concerns about NIF, and I greatly appreciate their efforts to bring this program under control. But frankly I am disappointed in what has come out of conference. The funding for NIF construction has risen from $74 million to $199 million. $74 million in the House, $74 million in the Senate, and $199 million out of conference. That is a lot of money to spend on a program that is out of control. Projected costs of constructing this facility have almost doubled in the last year. We don't know if the optics will work. We don't know how to design the target. Even if the technical problems are solved, we don't know if the National Ignition Facility will achieve ignition. We don't even know if this facility is needed.”