I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3653 

To reduce spending on nuclear weapons and related defense spending and 

to prohibit the procurement and deployment of low-yield nuclear warheads, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 1, 2021 

Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Ms. LEE of 

California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To reduce spending on nuclear weapons and related defense 

spending and to prohibit the procurement and deployment of low-yield nuclear warheads, 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 ‘‘Smarter Approaches 

5 to Nuclear Expenditures Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) The United States continues to maintain an 

2 excessively large and costly arsenal of nuclear deliv3 ery systems and warheads that are a holdover from 

4 the Cold War. 

5 (2) The current nuclear arsenal of the United 

6 States includes approximately 3,800 total nuclear 

7 warheads in its military stockpile, of which approxi8 mately 1,800 are deployed with five delivery compo9 nents: land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, 

10 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, long-range 

11 strategic bomber aircraft armed with nuclear gravity 

12 bombs, long-range strategic bomber aircraft armed 

13 with nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missiles, and 

14 short-range fighter aircraft that can deliver nuclear 

15 gravity bombs. The strategic bomber fleet of the 

16 United States comprises 87 B–52 and 20 B–2 air17 craft, over 60 of which contribute to the nuclear 

18 mission. The United States also maintains 400 

19 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 14 Ohio-class 

20 submarines, up to 12 of which are deployed. Each 

21 of those submarines is armed with approximately 90 

22 nuclear warheads. 

23 (3) Between fiscal years 2019 and 2028, the 

24 United States will spend $494,000,000,000 to main25 tain and recapitalize its nuclear force, according to 


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1 a January 2019 estimate from the Congressional 

2 Budget Office, an increase of $94,000,000,000 from 

3 the Congressional Budget Office’s 2017 estimate, 

4 with additional cost driven in part by the new nu5 clear weapons called for in former President Donald 

6 Trump’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. 

7 (4) Adjusted for inflation, the Congressional 

8 Budget Office estimates that the United States will 

9 spend $1,700,000,000,000 through fiscal year 2046 

10 on new nuclear weapons and modernization and in11 frastructure programs. 

12 (5) Inaccurate budget forecasting is likely to 

13 continue to plague the Department of Defense and 

14 the Department of Energy, as evidenced by the fis15 cal year 2021 budget request of the President for 

16 the National Nuclear Security Administration 

17 ‘‘Weapon Activities’’ account, which far exceeded 

18 what the National Nuclear Security Administration 

19 had projected in its fiscal year 2020 request and 

20 what it had projected in previous years. 

21 (6) The projected growth in nuclear weapons 

22 spending is coming due as the Department of De23 fense is seeking to replace large portions of its con24 ventional forces to better compete with the Russian 

25 Federation and the People’s Republic of China and 


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1 as internal and external fiscal pressures are likely to 

2 limit the growth of, and perhaps reduce, military 

3 spending. As then-Air Force Chief of Staff General 

4 Dave Goldfein said in 2020, ‘‘I think a debate is 

5 that this will be the first time that the nation has 

6 tried to simultaneously modernize the nuclear enter7 prise while it’s trying to modernize an aging conven8 tional enterprise. The current budget does not allow 

9 you to do both.’’. 

10 (7) In 2017, the Government Accountability Of11 fice concluded that National Nuclear Security Ad12 ministration’s budget forecasts for out-year spending 

13 downplayed the fact that the agency lacked the re14 sources to complete multiple, simultaneous billion 

15 dollar modernization projects and recommended that 

16 the National Nuclear Security Administration con17 sider ‘‘deferring the start of or cancelling specific 

18 modernization programs’’. 

19 (8) According to the Government Accountability 

20 Office, the National Nuclear Security Administration 

21 has still not factored affordability concerns into its 

22 planning as was recommended by the Government 

23 Accountability Office in 2017, with the warning that 

24 ‘‘it is essential for NNSA to present information to 

25 Congress and other key decision maker indicating 


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1 whether the agency has prioritized certain mod2 ernization programs or considered trade-offs (such 

3 as deferring or cancelling specific modernization pro4 grams)’’. 

5 (9) A December 2020 Congressional Budget 

6 Office analysis showed that the projected costs of 

7 nuclear forces over the next decade can be reduced 

8 by $12,400,000,000 to $13,600,000,000 by trim9 ming back current plans, while still maintaining a 

10 triad of delivery systems. Even larger savings would 

11 accrue over the subsequent decade. 

12 (10) The Department of Defense’s June 2013 

13 nuclear policy guidance entitled ‘‘Report on Nuclear 

14 Employment Strategy of the United States’’ found 

15 that force levels under the April 2010 Treaty on 

16 Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation 

17 of Strategic Offensive Arms between the United 

18 States and the Russian Federation (commonly 

19 known as the ‘‘New START Treaty’’) ‘‘are more 

20 than adequate for what the United States needs to 

21 fulfill its national security objectives’’ and can be reduced by up to 1 22 ⁄3 below levels under the New 

23 START Treaty to 1,000 to 1,100 warheads. 

24 (11) Former President Trump expanded the 

25 role of, and spending on, nuclear weapons in United 


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1 States policy at the same time that he withdrew 

2 from, unsigned, or otherwise terminated a series of 

3 important arms control and nonproliferation agree4 ments. 

5 SEC. 3. REDUCTIONS IN NUCLEAR FORCES. 

6 (a) REDUCTION OF NUCLEAR-ARMED SUB7 MARINES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

8 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or other9 wise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year 

10 thereafter for the Department of Defense may be obli11 gated or expended for purchasing more than eight Colum12 bia-class submarines. 

13 (b) REDUCTION OF GROUND-BASED MISSILES.— 

14 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning in 

15 fiscal year 2022, the forces of the Air Force shall include 

16 not more than 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles. 

17 (c) REDUCTION OF DEPLOYED STRATEGIC WAR18 HEADS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, be19 ginning in fiscal year 2022, the forces of the United States 

20 Military shall include not more than 1,000 deployed stra21 tegic warheads, as that term is defined in the New START 

22 Treaty. 

23 (d) LIMITATION ON NEW LONG-RANGE PENE24 TRATING BOMBER AIRCRAFT.—Notwithstanding any 

25 other provision of law, none of the funds authorized to 


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1 be appropriated or otherwise made available for any of fis2 cal years 2022 through 2028 for the Department of De3 fense may be obligated or expended for purchasing more 

4 than 80 B–21 long-range penetrating bomber aircraft. 

5 (e) PROHIBITION ON F–35 NUCLEAR MISSION.— 

6 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the 

7 funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 

8 available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter 

9 for the Department of Defense or the Department of En10 ergy may be used to make the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter 

11 aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons. 

12 (f) PROHIBITION ON NEW AIR-LAUNCHED CRUISE

13 MISSILE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

14 none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or other15 wise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year 

16 thereafter for the Department of Defense or the Depart17 ment of Energy may be obligated or expended for the re18 search, development, test, and evaluation or procurement 

19 of the long-range stand-off weapon or any other new air20 launched cruise missile or for the W80 warhead life exten21 sion program. 

22 (g) PROHIBITION ON NEW INTERCONTINENTAL BAL23 LISTIC MISSILE.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 

24 law, none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or 

25 otherwise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal 


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1 year thereafter for the Department of Defense may be ob2 ligated or expended for the research, development, test, 

3 and evaluation or procurement of the ground-based stra4 tegic deterrent or any new intercontinental ballistic mis5 sile. 

6 (h) TERMINATION OF URANIUM PROCESSING FACIL7 ITY.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none 

8 of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise 

9 made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year 

10 thereafter for the Department of Defense or the Depart11 ment of Energy may be obligated or expended for the Ura12 nium Processing Facility located at the Y–12 National Se13 curity Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 

14 (i) PROHIBITION ON PROCUREMENT AND DEPLOY15 MENT OF NEW LOW-YIELD WARHEAD.—Notwithstanding 

16 any other provision of law, none of the funds authorized 

17 to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal 

18 year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter for the Department 

19 of Defense or the Department of Energy may be obligated 

20 or expended to deploy the W76–2 low-yield nuclear war21 head or any other low-yield or nonstrategic nuclear war22 head. 

23 (j) PROHIBITION ON NEW SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED

24 CRUISE MISSILE.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

25 of law, none of the funds authorized to be appropriated 


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1 or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any 

2 fiscal year thereafter for the Department of Defense or 

3 the Department of Energy may be obligated or expended 

4 for the research, development, test, and evaluation or pro5 curement of a new submarine-launched cruise missile ca6 pable of carrying a low-yield or nonstrategic nuclear war7 head. 

8 (k) LIMITATION ON PLUTONIUM PIT PRODUCTION.— 

9 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the 

10 funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 

11 available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter 

12 for the Department of Defense or the Department of En13 ergy may be obligated or expended for achieving produc14 tion of more than 30 plutonium pits per year at Los Ala15 mos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. 

16 (l) LIMITATION ON W87–1 WARHEAD PROCURE17 MENT AND DEPLOYMENT.—Notwithstanding any other 

18 provision of law, none of the funds authorized to be appro19 priated or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2022 

20 or any fiscal year thereafter for the Department of De21 fense or the Department of Energy may be obligated or 

22 expended for the procurement or deployment of the W87– 

23 1 warhead for use on any missile that can feasibly employ 

24 a W87 warhead. 


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1 (m) LIMITATION ON SUSTAINMENT OF B83–1 

2 BOMB.—Notwithstanding other provision of law, none of 

3 the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 

4 available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter 

5 for the Department of Defense or the Department of En6 ergy may be obligated or expended for the sustainment 

7 of the B83–1 bomb beyond the time at which confidence 

8 in the B61–12 stockpile is gained. 

9 (n) PROHIBITION ON SPACE-BASED MISSILE DE10 FENSE.—Notwithstanding other provision of law, none of 

11 the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 

12 available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter 

13 for the Department of Defense or the Department of En14 ergy may be obligated or expended for the research, devel15 opment, test, and evaluation or procurement of a space16 based missile defense system. 

17 (o) PROHIBITION ON THE W–93 WARHEAD.—Not18 withstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds 

19 authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available 

20 for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal year thereafter for the 

21 Department of Defense or the Department of Energy may 

22 be obligated or expended for the procurement and deploy23 ment of a W–93 warhead on a submarine launched bal24 listic missile. 


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1 SEC. 4. REPORTS REQUIRED. 

2 (a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 

3 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

4 Defense and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly submit 

5 to the appropriate committees of Congress a report out6 lining the plan of each Secretary to carry out section 3. 

7 (b) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than March 1, 

8 2022, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense 

9 and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly submit to the 

10 appropriate committees of Congress a report outlining the 

11 plan of each Secretary to carry out section 3, including 

12 any updates to previously submitted reports. 

13 (c) ANNUAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS ACCOUNTING.— 

14 Not later than September 30, 2022, and annually there15 after, the President shall transmit to the appropriate com16 mittees of Congress a report containing a comprehensive 

17 accounting by the Director of the Office of Management 

18 and Budget of the amounts obligated and expended by the 

19 Federal Government for each nuclear weapon and related 

20 nuclear program during— 

21 (1) the fiscal year covered by the report; and 

22 (2) the life cycle of such weapon or program. 

23 (d) COST ESTIMATE REPORT.—Not later than 180 

24 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec25 retary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy shall jointly 

26 submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 


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1 outlining the life cycle estimated cost savings that result 

2 from carrying out section 3. 

3 (e) REPORT ON FUNDING NATIONAL DEFENSE

4 STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after the publication 

5 of a National Defense Strategy under section 113(g) of 

6 title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense 

7 shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 

8 a report explaining how the Secretary proposes to fund 

9 the National Defense Strategy under different levels of 

10 projected defense spending, including scenarios in which— 

11 (1) anticipated cost savings from reform do not 

12 materialize; or 

13 (2) defense spending decreases to the levels 

14 specified by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public 

15 Law 112–25; 125 Stat. 240). 

16 (f) MODIFICATION OF PERIOD TO BE COVERED BY

17 ESTIMATES OF COSTS RELATING TO NUCLEAR WEAP18 ONS.—Section 1043 of the National Defense Authoriza19 tion Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81; 125 

20 Stat. 1576), as most recently amended by section 1670 

21 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization 

22 Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232; 132 Stat. 

23 2157), is further amended in subsections (a)(2)(F) and 

24 (b)(1)(A) by striking ‘‘10-year period’’ each place it ap25 pears and inserting ‘‘25-year period’’. 


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1 (g) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE2 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit3 tees of Congress’’ means— 

4 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

5 Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 

6 Appropriations, and the Committee on Energy and 

7 Natural Resources of the Senate; and 

8 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

9 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

10 Appropriations, the Committee on Energy and Com11 merce, and the Committee on Natural Resources of 

12 the House of Representatives. 

Æ 


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