Nuclear bill funds remain unchanged

WASHINGTON -- House Democrats lost an effort Tuesday to add money to a program aimed at keeping Russian nuclear weapons away from terrorists.\nBy voice vote, House lawmakers working with senators to craft a compromise energy and water spending bill rejected an effort by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, that would have added $131 million to a $173 million program that helps Russia guard its nuclear facilities.\nThe $173 million is the same amount that was provided for the program last year.\n"That's business as usual," Edwards said after the meeting. "We're faced with a war against terrorism, and the terrorists have declared war on us."\nOpponents objected to Edwards' plan to take the money from a separate program for nuclear-armed cruise missiles. But they also agreed that nuclear nonproliferation efforts must be strengthened and told him they look for extra money in future bills.\n"There's no question we should be helping the Russians," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees energy and water spending. "It's really in our interest to help them."\nOverall, the bill contains $803 million for nuclear nonproliferation, including money for other programs that create jobs for Russian nuclear scientists so they won't be tempted to work for terrorist groups. That is $69 million less than this year, but $29 million more than President Bush requested.\nThe bill has a $24.6 billion price tag, $573 million more than last year and $2 billion above Bush's request. The measure must now be approved by the full House and Senate.\nThe legislation includes $60 million for new water projects, a favorite of lawmakers, and extra money for renewable energy research and cleanups of Energy Department nuclear waste sites.\nBargainers also decided to drop House-approved language that would have blocked the Army Corps of Engineers from seasonally altering water flows on the Missouri River, a battle that has pitted upstream and downstream business interests against each other.\nA Senate-passed provision, which remains in the bill, lets the Corps study various alternatives. The battle will be fought again next year.\nHouse-Senate bargainers also adopted a second spending bill, a near $3 billion measure to finance Congress' own operations. It is $245 million higher than was spent last year, and $13 million more than Bush sought.