“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I’d like to begin by saying it has been a pleasure crafting this mark with my friend, the Ranking Member, Mr. Turner. 

 “As I said at the subcommittee mark last week, we agree on much more than we disagree, and Mr. Turner has been a great partner on the subcommittee.

 "Let me start with a funding overview.  The subcommittee mark before you includes:

• $14.3 billion for Department of Energy Atomic Energy Defense Activities, not including defense nuclear nonproliferation programs;

• $9.3 billion for ballistic missile defense programs, the amount of the President’s request; and

• Approximately $11 billion for national security space programs, including just over $9 billion for Air Force space programs.

 “The subcommittee mark reflects three basic themes:

 “First, it includes measures to sustain and modernize the Stockpile Stewardship Program, through which the National Nuclear Security Administration assures the safety, security and reliability of our nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.

 “Second, the mark emphasizes ballistic missile defense systems, which address near-term threats to the United States, our deployed troops, and our allies, while also robustly investing in systems to defend against emerging long-range threats.

 “Third, the mark supports significant military space programs that are in critical phases of development or sustainment, such as the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS).

 “Now, let me discuss a few specifics.  For the Department of Energy’s national security programs, excluding non-proliferation programs, the mark authorizes $6.5 billion for nuclear weapons activities, and $6.4 billion for environmental and other defense activities, including $5.4 billion for Defense Environmental Cleanup.

 “Six weeks ago, the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, which the Strategic Forces Subcommittee created, delivered its report to Congress and the Administration. 

 “On May 6th, the chairman and vice chairman of the commission, Dr. Bill Perry and Dr. Jim Schlesinger, testified before the full committee.  They emphasized the need for the United States to maintain a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent, and stressed that our strategic posture must balance two equally important efforts. 

 “First, we must make a vigorous effort to reduce global nuclear dangers, in part, by bolstering non-proliferation programs and arms control efforts.

 “Second, the Commission made clear that Congress ought to continue support for a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent, including support for the science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program.

 “The commission strongly recommended investment in the scientific, technical, and physical infrastructure that supports the stockpile, and investment in the human capital on which the Stockpile Stewardship Program depends.

 “The Strategic Forces Subcommittee mark is consistent with these priorities. It includes legislative provisions and funding increases to strengthen the Stockpile Stewardship Program.  The mark amends the Stockpile Stewardship Program to clarify the program’s two overall objectives.

 “First, it ensures the preservation of critical capabilities in nuclear weapons reliability assessment and certification and, second, it makes certain that the nuclear weapons stockpile is safe, secure, and reliable without the use of nuclear weapons testing.

 “The mark further clarifies that execution of the Stockpile Stewardship Program requires material support for experimental capabilities, such as the National Ignition Facility, which is located in my district, as well as support for the manufacturing capabilities resident at production sites, such as the Pantex Plant.

 “Second, the mark authorizes a new ‘Stockpile Management Program’ to provide better guidance to the National Nuclear Security Administration in its efforts to maintain our nuclear weapons.

 “The new Stockpile Management Program has three objectives: to increase the reliability, safety, and security of the stockpile; to further reduce the likelihood of a return to nuclear weapons tests; and to achieve reductions in the future size of the nuclear weapons stockpile.

 “Under the Stockpile Management Program, changes to the nuclear stockpile would be limited to modifications made in pursuit of these objectives.

 “Any modifications would further be required to remain consistent with basic design parameters; including components that are certifiable without nuclear testing; and fulfill current mission requirements.

 “The Stockpile Management Program would emphasize maintaining the capabilities our strategic deterrent depend on,  which both the current and former Commanders of U.S. STRATCOM have urged.

 “Third, the mark amends existing requirements for annual nuclear weapons assessments to add a new requirement for robust, lab-to-lab peer review, called ’Dual Validation.’

 “In addition to these legislative provisions, the mark recommends several funding increases to strengthen the Stockpile Stewardship Program, including $32 million for the National Ignition Campaign; $30 million for Advanced Simulation and Computing; $25 million for high-priority construction projects; $40 million for unfunded infrastructure maintenance priorities across the complex; $10 million for the Science Campaign to support enhanced peer review; and $10 million to support experiments at the Nevada Test Site.

 “The mark offsets most of these increases by shifting slightly more than $100 million from Defense Environmental Cleanup to Stockpile Stewardship Program activities.

 “This is a modest reduction and is taken because of the significant funding provided by the stimulus package for defense environmental cleanup. Because of the stimulus funding, the Defense Environmental Cleanup program is simply in better shape than the Stockpile Stewardship Program.

 “Turning to missile defense programs, the mark authorizes $9.3 billion dollars for missile defense programs overall,  the amount of the budget request. This total includes nearly $8 billion dollars for the Missile Defense Agency.

 “The mark fully funds the President’s request for missile defense programs, a request which reflects the priorities this subcommittee has stressed for three years now: a focus on real threats, and on making our missile defense systems more effective. 

 “Fundamentally, this mark represents another step in our efforts to enhance our missile defenses. The emphasis during the Bush Administration was on a ‘capabilities-based’ approach.

 “This approach basically meant that if a contractor thought they could build it, MDA would pursue it, regardless of whether it addressed a real threat, and regardless of whether the Combatant Commanders had any use for it.

 “That yielded several early-to-need programs that fell behind schedule and went over budget, and it left us with ground-based interceptors in silos in Alaska that we are currently spending millions to fix and upgrade.

 “In contrast, as General O’Reilly told our subcommittee in May, the process leading up the FY 2010 budget request was the first to involve the Combatant Commanders in a meaningful way, and the first with a mature Missile Defense Evaluation Board in place. General O’Reilly actually said it was the most inclusive, collaborative process he had ever seen.

 “What this process yielded was an emphasis the highest priority, most urgent threats.  The request and the bill also include $1 billion dollars to continue to develop the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system to defend against emerging long-range threats.

 “In other words, the mark reflects a balanced, threat based approach to missile defense. 

 “And let me be clear, this budget substantially increases the deployment of proven missile defense capabilities, such as Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), which are designed to counter the ballistic missile threats we are most likely to face: short- and medium-range missiles. 

 “Over the next five years, Aegis Standard Missile-3 interceptor inventory will grow from 133 to 329 missiles, and THAAD interceptor inventory will grow from 96 interceptors in 287.

 “These are real increases, in real capability, against real threats. The mark also recommends a $20.5 million dollar increase to the U.S. – Israeli short-range missile defense program, David’s Sling.

 “We have also the included the following legislative provisions relating to missile defense.  The mark makes permanent the existing prohibition on deployment of long-range missile defense interceptors in Europe until the Secretary of Defense certifies such interceptors will be operationally effective.

 “Moreover, the mark requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for the long-term sustainment and modernization of the Ground-based, Midcourse Defense program.

 “The mark also requires the Secretary of Defense to assess and then report to Congress on whether the cooperative U.S. - Israeli Arrow-3 missile defense program is achieving the technical and schedule-related milestones that will be included in the Arrow-3 project agreement.

 “Regarding military space programs, the mark builds on the bipartisan approach the subcommittee took in the last Congress.

 “The mark makes reductions in the Third Generation Infrared Satellite System and the High Integrity GPS program, where the subcommittee has concerns about whether these programs can be executed on schedule and within cost.

 “The mark also reflects the subcommittee’s support for the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program, and includes an increase of $23 million to support the launch of the first ORS imaging satellite, ORS SAT-1.

 “The mark also requires the Secretary of Defense to annually submit a space science and technology strategy when the President submits the budget request to Congress.

 “Within strategic programs, the mark provides a 12 month extension for the Congressional Commission on Strategic Posture of the U.S.  This additional year will allow the commission to review and submit a report on the strategic security issues addressed by the pending Nuclear Posture Review and Quadrennial Defense Review, and any relevant congressional actions.

 “In the area of intelligence, we recommend a funding increase to boost the focus and resources of the Intelligence Community devoted to analysis of foreign nuclear weapons capabilities, programs, and intentions.  The Strategic Posture Commission specifically recommended reversing the recent decline in this area.

 “The mark also includes two legislative provisions related to intelligence. 
 
 “First, it requires the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, to prepare a plan for maintaining in the DOE national labs a robust capability to monitor, analyze, and evaluate foreign nuclear activities.

 “Second, it requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, to assess foreign ballistic missile intelligence analysis gaps and shortfalls, and prepare a plan to ensure that the appropriate intelligence centers have sufficient analytical capabilities to address such gaps.

 “In sum, I believe this mark prudently addresses the critical national security priorities within the jurisdiction of this subcommittee.  I strongly recommend its adoption today.