Amendments to the House of Representatives’ fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act cover a wide range of concerns over nuclear modernization costs, the size and scope of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and the status of arms control agreements with Russia.
One of the nearly 400 amendments submitted to the House version of the bill, for instance, would reverse a strategic forces subcommittee proposal to require the Defense Department to develop a ground-launched cruise missile within the range covered by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The House Armed Services Committee in late June approved the bill, which would authorize up to $14.2 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration – an increase from the $13.9 billion requested by the agency itself for the budget year starting Oct. 1.
The House Rules Committee will meet today and Wednesday to decide on the amendments that will be up for debate on the House floor through the rest of the week.
Amendments pertaining to the U.S. nuclear enterprise include the following:
- An amendment from Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) that would require the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate review on nuclear weapons modernization to cover a 30-year period instead of the currently required 10-year period.
- An amendment from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) that would prevent development of an intermediate-range ground-launched missile system until completion of the new Nuclear Posture Review and assurances from the defense secretary that such a system is the preferred option to maintain strategic stability with Russia, among related requirements.
- An amendment from Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) that would impose sanctions on Russia for its Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty violation instead of making the treaty nonbinding for the United States.
- An amendment from Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) that would prohibit reducing the quantity of deployed ICBMs below 400. (The United States currently deploys 405 Minuteman III ICBMs at Air Force bases.)
- An amendment by Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) that requires the NNSA to give Congress a list of unfunded agency priorities.