Exploring The Nuclear Option (2003) - wonder if there are any updates...

Congressional Quarterly Weekly
May 10, 2003
Pg. 1113

Exploring The Nuclear Option

The most controversial issues were administration proposals that Democrats decried as laying the groundwork for new types of low-yield nuclear weapons that could be used against deeply buried underground targets without devastating the surrounding area.

As requested by the administration, the committee approved a provision that would repeal an amendment to the fiscal 1994 defense authorization bill (PL 103-160), which prohibits research that would lead to the development of nuclear weapons with an explosive power of less than 5 kilotons. The panel also authorized an administration request for $15 million to continue studying the feasibility of modifying existing nuclear bombs to attack buried targets. But the committee stipulated that it was not giving the go-ahead for testing or fielding a new weapon.

The committee also approved the $9.1 billion total President Bush requested to develop and field anti-missile defenses. But it shifted funds to add $100 million to the $3.6 billion earmarked to begin deploying interceptors that could protect U.S. territory against missiles launched from North Korea by late 2004. The committee said the added funds were to allow additional flight testing.

The panel also included in the bill a provision requiring the Energy Department to upgrade its nuclear test site in Nevada so an underground test could be conducted within 18 months of a presidential decision to do so. Though the U.S. government has voluntarily observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1992, the Senate refused to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1999, opening the way for resumed testing. (1999 Almanac, 9-40)

As requested, the bill also would prevent the Interior Department from using the Endangered Species Act to protect any area on a training range that is already covered by a natural resources protection plan approved by the secretary of Interior. This was one of several waivers of environmental laws the Pentagon said it needed to prevent environmental lawsuits from unduly restricting combat training. (Species, p. 1116)

www.oft.osd.mil/library/library_files/article_82_Congressional%20Quarterly%20Weekly.doc

Wonder what kind of chocolatey goodness they came up with.