,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #abce ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #be1 #bjag,mr4 ,markey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,franken1 and ,mr4 ,merkley7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to reduce the number of nuclear-armed submarines operated by the ,navy1 to prohibit the development of a new long-range penetrating bomber aircraft1 to prohibit the procurement of new intercontinental ballistic missiles1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,smarter ,approach to ,nuclear ,expenditures ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,berlin ,wall fell in #aihi1 the ,soviet ,union no longer exists1 and the ,cold ,war is over4 ,the nature of threats to the national security and military interests of the ,united ,states has changed4 ,however1 the ,united ,states continues to maintain an excessively large and costly arsenal of nuclear weapons and delivery systems that are a holdover from the ,cold ,war4 7#b7 ,the current nuclear arsenal of the ,united ,states includes approximately #d1jjj total nuclear warheads in its military stockpile1 of which approximately #a1gej are deployed with five delivery components3 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles1 submarine-launched ballistic missiles1 long-range strategic bomber aircraft armed with nuclear gravity bombs1 long-range strategic bomber aircraft armed with nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missiles1 and short-range fighter aircraft that can deliver nuclear gravity bombs4 ,the strategic bomber fleet of the ,united ,states comprises #hi ,b-#eb and #bj ,b-#b aircraft1 of which #fj are believed to contribute to the nuclear mission4 ,the ,united ,states maintains approximately #djj intercontinental ballistic missiles4 ,the ,united ,states also maintains #ad ,ohio-class submarines1 up to #ab of which are deployed at sea4 ,each of those submarines is armed with approximately #hj independently targetable nuclear warheads4 7#c7 ,the maintenance of this force comes at significant cost4 ,between fiscal years #bjag and #bjbf1 the ,united ,states will spend approximately #djj1jjj1jjj to maintain and recapitalize its nuclear force1 according to a ,february #bjag report from the ,congressional ,budget ,office4 ,over #cj years1 spending on nuclear forces could exceed #a1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj4 7#d7 ,numerous ,united ,states ,government officials have warned of the affordability problem posed by the current nuclear weapons sustainment plans1 cautioning that those plans cannot be executed in the absence of significant long-term increases to defense spending or cuts to other military priorities4 ,for example1 ,brian ,mc,keon1 former ,principal ,deputy ,under ,secretary of ,defense stated in ,october #bjae1 ,we're looking at that big bow wave in nuclear weapons spending and wondering how the heck we're going to pay for it1 and probably thanking our lucky stars we won't be here to answer the question44 7#e7 ,an ,april #bjag ,government ,accountability ,office report found that there is a significant mismatch between the #be-year plan of the ,department of ,energy to refurbish the ,nation's nuclear warheads and supporting infrastructure1 and the ,department's budget estimates4 ,the report also found that key warhead life extension programs are likely underfunded4 7#f7 ,according to the ,congressional ,budget ,office's #bjag long-term budget outlook report1 discretionary spending1 including national defense spending1 is likely to continue to be constrained even after the expiration of sequestration under part ,c of the ,balanced ,budget and ,emergency ,deficit ,control ,act of #aihe 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ijj et seq471 as amended by the ,budget ,control ,act of #bjaa 7,public ,law #aab-be2 #abe ,stat4 #bdj71 as a result of an aging population1 rising health care costs1 and the rising interest on the national debt4 7#g7 ,a substantial decrease in spending on the nuclear arsenal of the ,united ,states is prudent for both the budget and national security4 ,the current plans to sustain the ,united ,states nuclear arsenal assume that the ,united ,states will maintain a nuclear arsenal like the one it has now for decades to come4 ,however1 the ,department of ,defense's ,june #bjac nuclear policy guidance entitled1 ,report on ,nuclear ,employment ,strategy of the ,united ,states found that force levels under the ,treaty between the ,united ,states of ,america and the ,russian ,federation on ,measures for the ,further ,reduction and ,limitation of ,strategic ,offensive ,arms1 signed on ,april #h1 #bjaj1 and entered into force on ,february #e1 #bjaa 7commonly known as the ,new ,,start ,treaty71 are more than adequate for what the ,united ,states needs to fulfill its national security objectives and can be reduced by up to one-third below levels under the ,new ,,start ,treaty to #a1jjj to #a1ajj warheads4 7#h7 ,a ,december #bjaf ,congressional ,budget ,office report showed that at least #aj percent of the projected costs of nuclear forces over the next decade can be saved by trimming back the current plans1 while still maintaining a triad of delivery systems4 ,even larger savings would accrue over the subsequent decade4 7#i7 ,even without additional reductions below the ,new ,,start ,treaty limit of #a1eej deployed strategic warheads1 the ,united ,states can save tens of billions of dollars by deploying those warheads more efficiently on delivery systems and by deferring production of new delivery systems until they are needed4 7#aj7 ,as it undertakes its ,nuclear ,posture ,review in #bjag1 ,president ,donald ,trump must seriously examine options to reshape and rescale the plans and adequately fund a smaller number of projects that would still leave the ,united ,states with a capable and credible deterrent4 #c4 ,reductions in nuclear forces 7a7 ,reduction of nuclear-,armed submarines ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense may be obligated or expended for procuring more than eight ,columbia-class submarines4 7b7 ,reduction of intercontinental ballistic missiles ,notwithstanding section #affg of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjag 7,public ,law #aad-cbh7 or any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense may be obligated or expended to maintain more than #aej deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles4 7c7 ,reduction of deployed strategic warheads ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be obligated or expended to maintain more than #a1jjj deployed strategic warheads1 as counted under the ,new ,,start ,treaty 7as defined in section #die7;e7 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code74 7d7 ,prohibition on new long-,range penetrating bomber aircraft ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for any of fiscal years #bjag through #bjbd for the ,department of ,defense may be obligated or expended for the research1 development1 test1 and evaluation or the procurement of the ,b-#ba long-range penetrating bomber aircraft4 7e7 ,prohibition on ,f-#ce nuclear mission ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be used to make the ,f-#ce ,joint ,strike ,fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons4 7f7 ,reduction in the ,b#fa life extension program ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may obligated or expended for extending the life of tactical versions of the ,b#fa gravity bomb4 7g7 ,prohibition on new air-,launched cruise missile ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be obligated or expended for the research1 development1 test1 and evaluation or the procurement of a new air-launched cruise missile or for the ,w#hj warhead life extension program4 7h7 ,prohibition on new intercontinental ballistic missile ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense may be obligated or expended for the research1 development1 test1 and evaluation or the procurement of the ground-based strategic deterrent or any new intercontinental ballistic missile4 7i7 ,termination of ,,iw-#a life extension program ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be obligated or expended for the ,,iw-#a life extension program4 7j7 ,termination of ,mixed ,oxide ,fuel ,fabrication ,facility ,project ,notwithstanding section #caaf of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjag 7,public ,law #aad-cbh7 or any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be obligated or expended for the ,mixed ,oxide ,fuel ,fabrication ,facility project at the ,savannah ,river ,site1 ,aiken1 ,south ,carolina4 7k7 ,termination of ,uranium ,processing ,facility ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year #bjag or any fiscal year thereafter for the ,department of ,defense or the ,department of ,energy may be obligated or expended for the ,uranium ,processing ,facility located at the ,y-#ab ,national ,security ,complex1 ,oak ,ridge1 ,tennessee4 #d4 ,reports required 7a7 ,initial report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense and the ,secretary of ,energy shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report outlining the plan of each ,secretary to carry out section #c4 7b7 ,annual report ,not later than ,march #a1 #bjah1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,defense and the ,secretary of ,energy shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report outlining the plan of each ,secretary to carry out section #c1 including any updates to previously submitted reports4 7c7 ,annual nuclear weapons accounting ,not later than ,september #cj1 #bjag1 and annually thereafter1 the ,president shall transmit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report containing a comprehensive accounting by the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget of the amounts obligated and expended by the ,federal ,government for each nuclear weapon and related nuclear program during-- 7#a7 the fiscal year covered by the report2 and 7#b7 the life cycle of such weapon or program4 7d7 ,cost estimate report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense and the ,secretary of ,energy shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress a report outlining the estimated cost savings that result from carrying out section #c4 7e7 ,appropriate committees of ,congress defined ,in this section1 the term appropriate committees of ,congress means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,appropriations1 and the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,appropriations1 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives4