Echoing POGO's concerns about the Department of Energy's (DOE) "2010 Safety and Security Reform Plan" giving contractors "the flexibility to tailor and implement safety and security programs without excessive federal oversight or overly prescriptive departmental requirements," Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate DOE's plan. The Members also wrote DOE Secretary Chu requesting a briefing on the reforms and a written response to address how the reforms do not raise any security-related concerns.
As we have been saying for years, oversight of the nuclear weapons complex is a nonpartisan issue. That's why we are so glad this week that Republicans and Democrats have taken action to bring some accountability to the DOE. Unfortunately, the two parties did not join forces on their information requests/letters, which we would endorse as an effective oversight tactic to demonstrate to DOE that there is a united, and informed, force on the Hill.
-- Ingrid Drake
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