The FY98 Defense Appropriations Bill, S. 1005, passed on July 15, 94-4.The legislation fully funds the President's $382.2 million Nunn-Lugarrequest. As originally reported by the Appropriations Committee, the billhad cut Nunn-Lugar by $60 million. This was in line with the AuthorizationCommittee's initial recommendation.
Support for Nunn-Lugar, however, remained strong in the Senate. On July 14, roughly two weeks after the Senate had voted to restore Nunn-Lugarfunding to the Defense Authorization Bill, the Chairman of theAppropriations Committee, Ted Stevens (R-AK), submitted an amendmentreinstating the $60 million. The Steven's amendment was adopted the sameday by voice vote.
Included in the Appropriations Bill was a requirement that $35 million ofNunn-Lugar monies must be reserved for dismantling and disposing ofnuclear submarines in the Russian Far East. The Committee believed that adisproportionate amount of appropriations have gone to European Russia andthat if program goals were to be met, the money had to be distributed moreequitably.
