II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1796 

To require a report on the military and security ramifications of the new 

ground-launched cruise missile of the Russian Federation, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 

Ms. WARREN (for herself and Mr. LEE) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To require a report on the military and security ramifications 

of the new ground-launched cruise missile of the Russian 

Federation, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Upholding America’s 

5 Nuclear Commitments Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REPORT ON MILITARY AND SECURITY RAMIFICA7 TIONS OF RUSSIA’S GROUND-LAUNCHED 

8 CRUISE MISSILE. 

9 (a) REPORT REQUIRED.— 


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•S 1796 IS

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, 

2 with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall 

3 submit to the congressional defense committees a re4 port including the following elements: 

5 (A) A description of the status of the Rus6 sian Federation’s new ground-launched cruise 

7 missile (SSC–8), its capabilities, and the threat 

8 it poses to the allies and assets of the United 

9 States in Europe and Asia. 

10 (B) An assessment of whether the United 

11 States faces significant military disadvantages 

12 with the introduction of the SSC–8 to the Eu13 ropean continent. 

14 (C) An assessment of capability gaps that 

15 a new United States ground-launched inter16 mediate-range missile with a range between 500 

17 and 5,500 kilometers would address in Europe 

18 and Asia and whether such a missile is the pre19 ferred military response to Russian Federation 

20 violations of the INF Treaty. 

21 (D) The timeline for fielding such a 

22 ground-launched intermediate-range missile, in23 cluding time for research, development, and de24 ployment of the system, and the total cost for 

25 development and deployment of the system. 


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1 (E) An assessment of the willingness of 

2 countries in Europe or the Asia-Pacific region 

3 to complete the legal requirements to host a 

4 ground-launched intermediate-range missile 

5 with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilo6 meters for counterforce or countervailing strike 

7 missions against the Russian Federation and 

8 the People’s Republic of China. 

9 (F) An assessment of the North Atlantic 

10 Council’s willingness to endorse development of 

11 a ground-launched intermediate-range missile 

12 as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza13 tion’s collective response to the failure of the 

14 Russian Federation to comply with the INF 

15 Treaty. 

16 (G) A determination of whether the United 

17 States developing, producing, or flight-testing a 

18 ground-launched intermediate-range missile 

19 would be compliant with the INF Treaty. 

20 (2) FORM.—The report required under para21 graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, 

22 but may include a classified annex. 

23 (b) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—None of the 

24 funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 

25 available for fiscal year 2018 for a research and developVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:44 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1796.IS S1796

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1 ment program for a dual-capable road-mobile ground2 launched missile system with a maximum range of 5,500 

3 kilometers may be obligated or expended until the report 

4 required by subsection (a) is received by the congressional 

5 defense committees. 

6 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES.— 

8 The term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ has 

9 the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) 

10 of title 10, United States Code. 

11 (2) INF TREATY.—The term ‘‘INF Treaty’’ 

12 means the Treaty between the United States of 

13 America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 

14 on the Elimination of their Intermediate-Range and 

15 Shorter-Range Missiles, signed at Washington De16 cember 8, 1987, and entered into force June 1, 

17 1988. 

Æ 


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