I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4178 
To strengthen the strategic force posture of the United States by ensuring 
the safety, security, reliability, and credibility of the nuclear weapons stockpile. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2012 
Mr. TURNER of Ohio (for himself, Mr. BROOKS, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. FRANKS 
of Arizona, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. REHBERG, and Mr. MILLER 
of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To strengthen the strategic force posture of the United 
States by ensuring the safety, security, reliability, and 
credibility of the nuclear weapons stockpile. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Maintaining the President’s Commitment to Our Nuclear 
Deterrent and National Security Act of 2012’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:08 Mar 09, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4178.IH
H4178
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Commitments for nuclear weapons stockpile modernization. 
Sec. 4. Limitation and report in the event of insufficient funding for mod-
ernization of nuclear weapons stockpile. 
Sec. 5. Progress of modernization. 
Sec. 6. Limitation on strategic delivery system reductions. 
Sec. 7. Prevention of asymmetry of nuclear weapon stockpile reductions. 
Sec. 8. Consideration of expansion of nuclear forces of other countries. 
Sec. 9. Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Nuclear Facility and 
Uranium Processing Facility. 
Sec. 10. Nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles of the United 
States. 
Sec. 11. Nonstrategic nuclear weapon reductions and extended deterrence pol-
icy. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘congressional defense commit-
tees’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘New START Treaty’’ means the 
Treaty between the United States of America and 
the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further 
Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive 
Arms, signed on April 8, 2010, and entered into 
force on February 5, 2011. 
SEC. 3. COMMITMENTS FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS STOCK-
PILE MODERNIZATION. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 2008, then Secretary of Defense Robert 
Gates warned that ‘‘to be blunt, there is absolutely 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:17 Mar 13, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4178.IH
H4178
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
no way we can maintain a credible deterrent and re-
duce the number of weapons in our stockpile without 
either resorting to testing our stockpile or pursuing 
a modernization program.’’. 
(2) Secretary Gates also warned in September 
2009 that modernization is a prerequisite to nuclear 
force reductions, stating that modernizing the nu-
clear capability of the United States is an ‘‘enabler 
of arms control and our ability to reduce the size of 
our nuclear stockpile. When we have more con-
fidence in the long-term viability of our weapons sys-
tems, then our ability to reduce the number of weap-
ons we must keep in the stockpile is enhanced.’’. 
(3) President Obama’s 2010 Nuclear Posture 
Review stated that— 
(A) ‘‘In order to sustain a safe, secure, 
and effective U.S. nuclear stockpile as long as 
nuclear weapons exist, the United States must 
possess a modern physical infrastructure—com-
prised of the national security laboratories and 
a complex of supporting facilities.’’; and 
(B) ‘‘[I]mplementation of the Stockpile 
Stewardship Program and the nuclear infra-
structure investments recommended in the NPR 
will allow the United States to shift away from 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:08 Mar 09, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4178.IH
H4178
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
retaining large numbers of non-deployed war-
heads as a hedge against technical or geo-
political surprise, allowing major reductions in 
the nuclear stockpile. These investments are es-
sential to facilitating reductions while sus-
taining deterrence under New START and be-
yond.’’. 
(4) Section 1251 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 
111–84; 123 Stat. 2549) required the President to 
submit a report to Congress on the plan for the nu-
clear weapons stockpile, nuclear weapons complex, 
and delivery platforms at the time a follow-on treaty 
to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was sub-
mitted by the President to the Senate. The Presi-
dent submitted such report in May 2010 and sub-
mitted updates in November 2010 and February 
2011. 
(5) Such section 1251 also contained a sense of 
Congress that ‘‘the enhanced safety, security, and 
reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile, mod-
ernization of the nuclear weapons complex, and 
maintenance of nuclear delivery systems are key to 
enabling further reductions in the nuclear forces of 
the United States.’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:08 Mar 09, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4178.IH
H4178
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS