From the Albuquerque Journal

The Obama administration Monday called for spending increases for the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, including a nearly $700 million budget hike in New Mexico.

But there are signs House Republican budget-cutters will push back.

Amid national furor over cutting the federal budget, the Department of Energy asked for a two-year, 20 percent spending increase at Los Alamos and Sandia national labs by 2012.

Department of Energy spending provides the largest single chunk of federal cash flowing into New Mexico — $4.1 billion in 2010, much of it for nuclear weapons work at the labs.

National Nuclear Security Administration chief Tom D'Agostino, in a briefing for reporters, called the budget request "an unprecedented investment in our nuclear security enterprise."

The request makes good on an administration pledge made during Senate deliberations over the New START arms control deal with the Russians in December: additional money to maintain the stockpile as part of the bargain.

But a bill introduced Friday by the House Republican leadership tries to strip away some of that spending increase, beginning this year.

The House budget-cutting effort affects 2011 spending, while the Obama administration's new request is for 2012.