II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 595 

To prohibit the use of funds for the research and development, production, 

or deployment of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile and its 

associated nuclear warhead. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 4, 2021 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. CARDIN, 

Mr. SCHATZ, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. MARKEY, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use of funds for the research and development, production, or deployment of the nuclear-armed 

sea-launched cruise missile and its associated nuclear 

warhead. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear SLCM Ban 

5 Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) The United States nuclear arsenal com2 prises approximately 3,800 nuclear warheads in the 

3 active stockpile and a force structure of long-range 

4 and short-range delivery systems, including— 

5 (A) land-based intercontinental ballistic 

6 missiles; 

7 (B) submarine-launched ballistic missiles 

8 that can deliver both low-yield and higher-yield 

9 nuclear warheads; 

10 (C) long-range strategic bomber aircraft 

11 capable of carrying nuclear-armed air-launched 

12 cruise missile and nuclear gravity bombs; and 

13 (D) short-range fighter aircraft that can 

14 deliver nuclear gravity bombs. 

15 (2) In 2010, the United States retired the nu16 clear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, or the 

17 TLAM–N, after concluding in the 2010 Nuclear 

18 Posture Review that the capability ‘‘serve[d] a re19 dundant purpose in the U.S. nuclear stockpile’’. 

20 (3) Ten years later, in 2020, the United States 

21 initiated studies into a new nuclear-armed sea22 launched cruise missile and associated warhead, 

23 after concluding in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Re24 view that the weapon system would provide a ‘‘nonVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:44 Apr 01, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S595.IS S595

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1 strategic regional presence’’ and ‘‘an assured re2 sponse capability’’. 

3 (4) The United States possesses an array of nu4 clear weapons systems, including both air- and sea5 based capabilities, that provide an effective regional 

6 deterrent presence, making the nuclear-armed sea7 launched cruise missile a redundant, unnecessary ca8 pability. 

9 (5) Deploying nuclear-armed sea-launched 

10 cruise missiles on attack submarines or surface ships 

11 risks detracting from the core military missions of 

12 such submarines and ships, such as tracking enemy 

13 submarines, protecting United States carrier groups, 

14 and conducting conventional strikes on priority land 

15 targets. 

16 (6) Stationing nuclear-armed sea-launched 

17 cruise missiles on such submarines or ships also 

18 risks complicating port visits and joint operations 

19 with some allies and partners of the United States, 

20 which in turn would reduce the operational effective21 ness of such submarines and ships and the deterrent 

22 value of deployed nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise 

23 missiles. 

24 (7) A January 2019 analysis of the Congres25 sional Budget Office estimated that the projected 


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1 costs of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise mis2 sile program from 2019 to 2028 would total 

3 $9,000,000,000, adding additional costs and re4 source requirements to the United States nuclear 

5 modernization program and increasing pressure on 

6 the Navy budget as the Navy plans for increases in 

7 shipbuilding while funding the Columbia-class sub8 marine program. 

9 (8) The cost of the nuclear-armed sea-launched 

10 cruise missile program will be larger, as the estimate 

11 of the Congressional Budget Office did not account 

12 for costs related to integrating nuclear-armed sea13 launched cruise missiles on attack submarines or 

14 surface ships, nuclear weapons-specific training for 

15 Navy personnel, or storage and security for nuclear 

16 warheads. 

17 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR RESEARCH 

18 AND DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION, OR DE19 PLOYMENT OF NUCLEAR-ARMED SEA20 LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE AND ASSOCI21 ATED WARHEAD. 

22 None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or 

23 otherwise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal 

24 year thereafter for the Department of Defense or the De25 partment of Energy may be obligated or expended for the 


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1 research and development, production, or deployment of 

2 the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile and its as3 sociated nuclear warhead. 

Æ 


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