,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #bd1       
#bjai,mr4 ,markey 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,murphy1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,van        
,hollen1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4        
,merkley1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,leahy1    
,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,wyden1
 and ,ms4 ,smith7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit the 
conduct of a first-use nuclear strike   
absent a declaration of war by          
,congress4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,restricting ,first 
,use of ,nuclear ,weapons ,act of #bjai4
  #b4 ,findings and declaration of      
policy  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3  7#a7 ,the ,constitution 
gives ,congress the sole power to       
declare war4  7#b7 ,the framers of the  
,constitution understood that the       
monumental decision to go to war1 which 
can result in massive death and the     

destruction of civilized society1 must  
be made by the representatives of the   
people and not by a single person4  7#c7
 ,as stated by section #b7;c7 of the    
,war ,powers ,resolution 7,public ,law  
#ic-adh2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #aeda71 the      
constitutional powers of the ,president 
as ,commander-in-,chief to introduce    
,united ,states ,armed ,forces into     
hostilities1 or into situations where   
imminent involvement in hostilities is  
clearly indicated by the circumstances1 
are exercised only pursuant to 7#a7 a   
declaration of war1 7#b7 specific       
statutory authorization1 or 7#c7 a      
national emergency created by attack    
upon the ,united ,states1 its           
territories or possessions1 or its armed
 forces4  7#d7 ,nuclear weapons are     
uniquely powerful weapons that have the 
capability to instantly kill millions of
 people1 create long-term health and    
environmental consequences throughout   
the world1 directly undermine global    
peace1 and put the ,united ,states at   

existential risk from retaliatory       
nuclear strikes4  7#e7 ,by any          
definition of war1 a first-use nuclear  
strike from the ,united ,states would   
constitute a major act of war4  7#f7 ,a 
first-use nuclear strike conducted      
absent a declaration of war by ,congress
 would violate the ,constitution4  7b7  
,declaration of policy ,it is the policy
 of the ,united ,states that no         
first-use nuclear strike should be      
conducted absent a declaration of war by
 ,congress4  #c4 ,prohibition on conduct
 of first-use nuclear strikes  7a7      
,prohibition ,notwithstanding any other 
provision of law1 the ,president may not
 use the ,armed ,forces of the ,united  
,states to conduct a first-use nuclear  
strike unless such strike is conducted  
pursuant to a declaration of war by     
,congress that expressly authorizes such
 strike4  7b7 ,first-,use nuclear strike
 defined ,in this section1 the term     
first-use nuclear strike means an attack
 using nuclear weapons against an enemy 

that is conducted without the ,president
 determining that the enemy has first   
launched a nuclear strike against the   
,united ,states or an ally of the       
,united ,states4