William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “I want to highlight one part of this bill that deals with nuclear weapons. As far as the eye can see, our country will…”

“I want to highlight one part of this bill that deals with nuclear weapons. As far as the eye can see, our country will continue to rely on nuclear weapons for our security, and yet we face some very daunting challenges. Our weapons and facilities are getting older, and we have decided not to engage in nuclear testing. We are going to have to have first-rate facilities, first-rate people and an efficient management structure to get through this time. This bill advances all three. It is particularly important that we have clear lines of authority and clear lines of responsibility between each facility in the nuclear weapons complex and the headquarters in Washington without a lot of mid-level management getting in the way. There have been a number of outside organizations and internal reviews that have called for exactly this kind of reform, and yet this bill is the first time that it has actually taken place. Each facility will report directly to Washington and will be a part of a management council. This is a safety issue for the country, it is a good and efficient Government issue, and it is also a preparedness issue, and it is just one of the many ways that this bill helps make the country safer.”