Hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Inhofe, Hearing on Challenges in the Department of Energy's Atomic Energy Defense Programs

Hearing

They are the force sitting right behind you, Rick. The committee meets today to hear testimony from the Department of Energy's atomic energy programs.So you wave at them.

Our hearing will come to order. We welcome our witness, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, a good friend of all of ours.

The DOE houses a number of defense programs, such as 11 the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Office 12 of Environmental Management that are under the jurisdiction 13 of the Armed Services Committee. Even so, a hearing like this is rare.

Our committee has not called a Secretary of Energy to testify for over 10 years. You ought to feel good about that. I am trying, sir. The DOE's defense programs, including the cleanup of nuclear waste, have gone without sufficient oversight.

Chairman McCain has asked that we read into the record a statement that he would like to make concerning this hearing today, so I am quoting. defense atomic energy programs are critically important to The Department of Energy's our national security.

DOE has run up a long list of cost overruns, schedule delays, and violations of safety and security.
too often they have failed to meet mission requirements with billions of dollars in the DOE funding authorized by the NDAA each year. opportunity to conduct the kind of oversight that will help the Department correct course.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the Put simply, The Senate Armed Services Committee has the The fiscal year 2019 budget request for the NNSA and the Environmental Management totals over $20 billion.

That comprises about 70 percent of the Department of Energy's proposed budget for fiscal year 2019.
ensure vigorous oversight of these taxpayer dollars. And it is up to us to Secretary Perry, it is a pleasure having you here.

Senator Reed?

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