Pete Domenici: “Mr. President, S. 1004 was reported by a vote of 28 to zero from the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday…”

“Mr. President, S. 1004 was reported by a vote of 28 to zero from the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Thursday, July 10, was filed that evening, and it has been available for Members since Friday, July 11. Senator Reid, who this year became the ranking member of the subcommittee, and I have worked closely together to craft a balanced bill. We believe it addresses the concerns of the Members of the Senate and the concerns of the President of the United States. The recommendation before the Senate provides $20.7 billion in new budget authority, $11.7 billion within the defense function, and $8.9 billion of that is within the domestic discretionary program. In this appropriations bill, in essence, a little over half of its total money is for defense purposes, and most of that, not all of it but most of it, has to do with the preservation and retaining the fidelity of the nuclear arsenal that the United States has in these very difficult times when we are building down and we are no longer doing underground testing.”