Nonproliferation Budget Increases Dramatically

 Lost in the hullabaloo over the administration's commitment to spend $5 billion over 5 years on managing and modernizing the nuclear stockpile are significant budget increases for nonproliferation activities. The total request for the 2011 fiscal year is $2.7 billion, up nearly a quarter -- or $551 million from the past year. Today, a group of 40 nuclear security experts called on Congress to fund the nonproliferation programs. Ken Luongo, the chair of the Fissile Materials Working Group and the president of Partnership for Global Security, praised the administration's budget increase request.