RE: As long as the strategic national defense components of DoE are preserved
Why can’t we just close the DoE and move the defense components under the DoD umbrella?
There is a lot of national defense infrastructure outside of DoD. You could considate on the one hand. On the other, important programs that support strategic defense or intel gathering capabilities, if consolidated, could be lost in budget battles to tactical types who only think in numbers of tanks or fighter jets. Keeping them separate preserves them from infighting, but does not reduce their important roles. Other examples include NGA, CIA, other and three letter organizations that dont like to be lumped in together both for the reasons stated and others.
DOD umbrella: It used to be that way but it got to be a bit troublesome because the Air Force needed most of the bombs but the Navy needed nuke fuel. Splitting the cost of building/maintaining the stuff was where it got awkward. Leaving an agency just to handle nuke material has always been the least cumbersome but I’m with it otherwise. Dump the rest of the DOE and throw in the EPA to make up any difference. Sounds like Rand has made a good start-—getting a 20% positive vote on short notice is a good sign. Now we just have to shame the rest into getting their surgery wherein their cranials are separated from their anals, a condition that developes with over exposure to vitamin K street.