Bill > S2930

This bill, titled the "Smarter Approaches to Nuclear Expenditures Act", aims to significantly reduce U.S. nuclear weapons spending and capabilities by implementing multiple restrictions on nuclear weapon systems and related defense programs. The bill would limit the U.S. military to no more than eight Columbia-class submarines, 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles, and 1,000 deployed strategic warheads by fiscal year 2026, and prohibit funding for several nuclear weapons programs including new bomber aircraft, the F-35 nuclear mission, new air and submarine-launched cruise missiles, and the development of low-yield nuclear warheads. The legislation also seeks to halt production of plutonium pits, end the sustainment of certain bomb systems like the B83-1, and prevent space-based missile defense research. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Departments of Defense and Energy submit reports to Congress detailing their plans for implementing these reductions, including estimated cost savings, and requires an annual comprehensive accounting of nuclear weapon expenditures. The bill's findings highlight the current nuclear arsenal's Cold War-era origins, emphasizing that the existing force is expensive, with projected costs potentially exceeding $1 trillion in the next decade, and argues that these capabilities are more extensive than necessary for current national security needs.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2930/all-info