
The House Armed Services Committee approved more scrutiny of a planned nuclear-weapon-core factory on Wednesday, but otherwise appeared set at deadline to authorize the large funding increase requested by the Department of Energy for civilian nuclear weapons programs. The directive is part of an amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act proposed by Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), chair of the Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee. The measure, approved 31-25, would require the Department of Energy to conduct an independent…