Tuesday, May 18, 2004 Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176   Schiff Seeks Funds to Stop Terrorist Access to WMD Lawmaker Proposes $200 million more for Nonproliferation Programs in Major Defense Bill   WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) today offered an amendment to the FY 2005 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 4200) to dramatically increase funding to secure or destroy nuclear material stockpiles around the world.  Schiff is seeking to add $200 million to various nonproliferation programs in the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Energy (DOE).   “The need for nonproliferation funding is extremely urgent,” Schiff testified before the House Rules Committee.  “Osama bin Laden has declared the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction a ‘religious duty;’ and after the Taliban was defeated, blueprints for a crude nuclear weapon were found in a deserted al Qaeda headquarters in Afghanistan.”   In January 2001, the Baker-Cutler Task Force on DOE Nonproliferation Programs with Russia stated that, “The most urgent unmet national security threat to the United States today is the danger that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or weapons-usable materials in Russia could be stolen and sold to terrorists or hostile nation states and used against American troops abroad or citizens at home.”   With the cost fully offset by cuts of $100 million each to the Transformational Communications Satellite (TSAT) and Space-based Radar (SBR) programs, such funds would be allocated as follows:   $50 million to the “Nunn-Lugar” Cooperative Threat Reduction Program $40 million for Global Cleanout, a program to dispose of highly enriched uranium (HEU) $40 million to downblend uranium from highly enriched to low-enriched $10 million for the Global Nuclear Security Program $10 million for security upgrades at nine Russian weapons complexes $10 million to relocate Russian HEU and plutonium $20 million to accelerate the elimination of Russia’s plutonium production capability $10 million to improve export controls of nuclear material $10 million for nonproliferation research and development The House of Representatives may begin consideration of H.R. 4200 tomorrow.  The House Rules Committee has the discretion over which amendments may be considered by the full House.   Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees.  He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.