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![handle is hein.gao/gaobachjq0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON. D.C. 2054B
INE1YB-115398
REFER TO'
May 23, 1978
The Honorable Strom Thurmond
United States Senate
Dear Senator Thurmond:
This replies to your letter of May 1, 1978, in which
you raised certain questions about the Executive branch's
actions regarding production of the B-77 gravity bomb. Spe-
cifically, you ask whether there has been an impoundment of
budget authority in regard to B-77 bomb production activ-
ities and if the Executive branch has acted in compliance
with prior opinions of this Office expressed in connection
with the termination of Minuteman III Intercontinental Bal
listic Missile production activities. Detailed answers to
your questions follow.
I. WHETHER B-77 PRODUCTION FUNDS HAVE BEEN IMPOUNDED:
There has been an impoundment of those funds that would
be used for production of the B-77 gravity bomb. In his
eighth special message for fiscal year 1978 dated May 12,
1978, the President proposed to the Congress a deferral of
$23,497,322 in budget authority that was appropriated for
the use of the Department of Energy. The special message
states in part:
It has been determined that a modernized
B-43 bomb, together with other weapons in
the stockpile, may be able to fulfill
requirements previously identified for the
B-77 bomb, but at significantly lower costs.
As a result, it may not be necessary to
modify current weapon production facilities
for the B-77 bomb. Therefore, the funds
associated with B-77 bomb production facili-
ities modification [$23,497,322] are being
deferred. In addition, it has been re-
quested that in FY 1979 funding be redir-
ected to B-43 bomb production and to other](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobachjq0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)