Proposed lab cuts would have widespread impact

Though the impact might not be felt as strongly in Southern New Mexico, the proposal approved by the U.S. House to cut funding for the state’s nuclear weapons laboratories is causing quite a firestorm up north.

The House approved on Wednesday cuts of about $400 million in funding for Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories. A proposal by Rep. Tom Udall, the Democrat whose district includes LANL, to reduce the cuts by $192 million was shot down by his colleagues.

The Senate’s proposal will be released next week. It’s not yet known whether it will include the cuts.

The political dimensions here are nearly endless. When he was energy secretary, Gov. Bill Richardson got his worst public haranguing of all time over security breaches at LANL, and the problems have continued since then. A few Republicans supported the cuts because they believe LANL, which will bear the largest share of the cuts, hasn’t been responsible with the money it’s been given.

A number of Democrats, on the other hand, believe it’s time for a shift at the labs from a focus on nuclear weapons to more attention on energy research. The cuts would essentially mandate a shift in the mission of the labs.

But the cuts would lead to hundreds or thousands of layoffs. That puts Udall in a tough spot. When he was named earlier this year to the Appropriations Committee, New Mexicans expected his new influence to pay off in terms of dollars to the state. Instead, the first major news from the committee was the massive cuts at the labs, a cornerstone of the state’s economy.

Udall has tried to strike the politically sensitive balance of supporting an “open discussion” about the future mission of the labs while also seeking to reduce the cuts. Republicans have hammered him for failing to protect funding for the labs.

“Mr. Udall, there is nothing to discuss,” New Mexico GOP Executive Director Adam Feldman said in a news release. “When unnecessary job cuts and our national defense are at stake, we expect you to fight for the interests of our state and nation, and not defer to the misplaced priorities of the Democrats in Congress. Do your job.”

New Mexico’s delegation supported Udall’s failed proposal to reduce the cuts on Wednesday. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said on the House floor that he “deeply regret(ed) that the majority has decided to cut these programs and irrevocably harm our nuclear weapon programs and fail to maintain our nuclear stockpile. Our responsibility is to protect the American people and ensure that our weapons programs operate in a responsible and secure manner.”

Sen. Pete Domenici told the Albuquerque Tribune that the delegation’s opposition to the cuts isn’t just about protecting New Mexicans’ jobs.

“The House plan represents a seismic shift in American nuclear weapons policy with national and international implications,” he said.

Domenici sums it up well: This is a huge deal on a state, national and international level. The funding plan approved by the House mandates a massive policy shift. At the same time, jobs in New Mexico are at stake.

The one with the most to lose is Udall. Security breaches have been leading to potential punitive cuts for years. The end of the Cold War and the need to focus on energy independence have been leading to a potential shift in the mission of the nuclear labs for some time. If the Senate agrees to the cuts, it’s all going to happen on Udall’s watch.

Udall had considered running for a seat in the U.S. Senate someday, if the situation presents itself. First he’ll have to find a way to weather this storm. He’s been around a long time, so don’t count him out, even if the cuts are approved by the Senate and president.

But don’t expect a bunch of fired rocket scientists to be happy, either.