Richardson Concedes, Clinton Signs Bill to Take Nuke Responsibility from Energy Department

News From . . .

The House Policy Committee

Christopher Cox, Chairman

Richardson Concedes, Clinton Signs Bill to Take Nuke Responsibility from Energy Department

WASHINGTON (Tuesday, October 5, 1999)-The most significant Cabinet department restructuring in two decades became law today, as President Clinton signed a bill enacting 28 recommendations by the House Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Rep. Christopher Cox, who chaired the Select Committee, noted that the House voted 375-45, and the Senate 93-5, for the bill.

The most significant Select Committee reform in the bill is the new NNSA - the National Nuclear Security Administration - which will immediately take over nuclear weapons responsibility from the Department of Energy.

"I would most likely recommend to the president that he veto the bill," Energy Secretary Bill Richardson told reporters after the House and Senate agreed on the reforms, but his recantation in recent days was a concession to the veto-proof margins in both houses of Congress.

Richardson's call for a veto was largely dismissed on Capitol Hill, where Senators and Representatives received the latest National Intelligence Estimate on September 9, 1999. This consensus report of the U.S. intelligence community announced that the PRC is expected to test "a longer range mobile ICBM within the next several years; it will be targeted primarily against the United States." The report also stated that both this and a new sea-launched nuclear missile will likely be fitted with "smaller nuclear warheads-in part influenced by U.S. technology gained through espionage." The report marked the first public confirmation by the Clinton administration of the accuracy of the Select Committee's most-publicized findings.

In addition to stripping nuclear weapons responsibility from the Department of Energy, the just-passed legislation includes 28 recommendations from the Select Committee chaired by Rep. Cox. Among the steps in the new law are:

Strengthening security surrounding U.S. satellite launches on People's Republic of China (PRC) rockets

Stepping up intelligence community involvement in national security decisions for satellite exports

Ensuring timely notification to satellite manufacturers of export licensing decisions

Increasing resources for export license processing by the Defense Department and the State Department

Directing the President to negotiate multi-lateral controls on the transfer of sensitive technologies

Directing the President to seek PRC compliance with all aspects of the Missile Technology Control Regime

Requiring an annual report on the implications of high-performance computer exports to the PRC

Requiring the President to seek agreement with the PRC to allow end-use verification for U.S. high performance computers exported to the PRC, to ensure they are not being used for weapons development

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The Policy Committee is the policy-making arm of the House Majority. It is comprised of the House Leadership (the Speaker, the Majority Leader, the Majority Whip, the Conference Chairman, the Policy Chairman, the Conference Vice Chairman, the Conference Secretary, the NRCC Chairman, and the elected leaders of the Junior, Sophomore, and Freshman classes), the chairmen of key standing committees of the House, and Members elected by region and seniority. The Committee meets weekly to consider legislation and issues of national importance.