Destruction of Chemical Weapons Stockpile

Federal News Service April 1, 2004 Thursday

HEADLINE: HEARING OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE FOR ARMED SERVICES

SUBJECT: DESTRUCTION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS STOCKPILE

CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE JIM SAXTON (R-NY)

WITNESSES: RAYMOND J. DECKER, DIRECTOR, DEFENSE CAPABILITIES AND MANAGEMENT, U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE; DALE E. KLEIN, ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE PROGRAMS;

CLAUDE BOLTON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY (ACQUISITION, TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS); PAT WAKEFIELD, DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CHEMICAL DEMILITARIZATION AND COUNTERPROLIFERATION);

MIKE PARKER, DIRECTOR, U.S. ARMY CHEMICAL MATERIAL AGENCY; CRAIG CONKLIN, CHIEF, NUCLEAR AND CHEMICAL HAZARDS BRANCH PREPAREDNESS DIVISION EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE DIRECTORATE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; PATRICK J. MEEHAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAM NATIONAL CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, CENTERS FO DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, AND AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE REGISTRY

LOCATION: 2118 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): Just quickly. I agree totally with the chairman's remarks. And I should point out that I'm filling in for Mr. Meehan, who had a conflict this morning. The chemical stockpile destruction program is critically important. I appreciate all your work on that. As the chairman said, it's proving more costly and time consuming than we expected, but then again what doesn't turn out that way these days? But we need to figure out ways to speed it up and do it in a cost effective way.

Certainly when you think about all the work we do on nonproliferation throughout the globe and how important that work is, this is important for our credibility in continuing to pursue that and trying to get people to cooperate with us internationally. So I applaud all the efforts. I look forward to hearing the testimony today about how we can do it more quickly and more cost effectively. But the bottom line is the program is critical and we need to continue to support it until we finish our job. And I thank the chairman for the opportunity. Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

REP. SMITH: I don't have any questions -