Alan Simpson: “I first want to thank the ranking member and the chairman of the full committee for their hard work on this bill. Most…”

“I first want to thank the ranking member and the chairman of the full committee for their hard work on this bill. Most people don't realize how hard the work is. I thank the ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, for her hard work and committed efforts throughout these many months spent on drafting this bill, and also our Senate partners, Lamar Alexander and Dianne Feinstein. I want to thank the majority and minority staff for the incredible work and long hours that they spent in preparing this bill. The Energy and Water section of this bill strengthens our Nation's defense, makes important investments in our Nation's water infrastructure, and advances an all-of-the-above energy strategy to ensure America's energy independence. Weapons Activities, which provides funding to maintain the safety, security, and readiness of the Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, is $471 million more than last year. Within that, funding for nuclear weapons infrastructure is $2.8 billion, an increase of 23 percent, and will address a backlog of deferred maintenance and high-risk, deteriorating infrastructure. The Naval Reactors program, which supports the Navy's nuclear propulsion program, is increased by $45 million over last year. This fully funds the replacement of the Ohio class ballistic missile submarine.…”