U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe questioned Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security Lisa Gordon-Hagerty about the proposal to repurpose a South Carolina facility to increase plutonium pit production. The pits are used for nuclear weapons. A 2018 Nuclear Posture Review indicated the U.S. needed to produce at least 80 plutonium pits per year to keep America’s nuclear arsenal up to date.
President Trump’s budget asks for $410 million dollars to repurpose the facility in South Carolina.
Inhofe asked what advantages there were to repurpose it while increasing production at Los Alamos. Inhofe is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee which held the hearing on Thursday.
You can watch Inhofe’s opening remarks and Q&A below.
Opening Remarks
Q&A
