Obama wants $800M for spy center

The Obama administration is griping about how Congress is funding a new, $1.5 billion computer "spy center" at Camp Williams in Utah.

Congressional Quarterly reported Friday that the Office of Management and Budget is complaining that Congress is funding it more slowly over more years than it would like, instead of approving the full amount requested by Obama.

The Senate began debating on Friday its version of the 2010 Veterans Affairs and military construction spending bill, which would provide $700 million for the Utah cybersecurity data center, or 12.5 percent less than the $800 million that Obama requested in his budget.

The House version of the same bill would provide about $500 million for the facility.

A supplemental spending bill passed earlier this year included $169.5 million to start the project that is expected to cost $1.5 billion if all phases of it are eventually built.

Congressional Quarterly said that OMB wrote, "Consistent with the president's budget, the administration encourages full funding of these programs to make the most efficient use of taxpayer resources."

But CQ reported that staffers on appropriations committees expect no amendments to increase the amount, despite what OMB is requesting. It added that staffers said committees figured the administration actually could not use the full amount requested. So instead of "parking" the money, they chose to spend it on other priorities.

CQ noted the executive and legislative branches have long fought over incremental funding, with the executive branch complaining it leads to designing and building projects in phases that are independent of each other. It contends that leads to inefficient designs, complicates construction and leads to higher overall costs.

The super-secretive National Security Agency has said in budget requests that the new Utah center will house supercomputers to help spy on communications.

Many spy novels have described how the NSA and its satellites and supercomputers can listen for key words or certain voices in cell phone, radio, computer and other communication worldwide that may reveal terrorist plans and movements.

Funding requests to Congress said the center will sit on 120 acres at Camp Williams. The NSA has said the project will employ as many as 10,000 workers during construction and between 100 and 200 once it begins operations.

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