I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1554 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2021 
Mr. COURTNEY (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 
HUFFMAN, Mr. BEYER, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GALLEGO, 
and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To prohibit the use of funds for the research and develop-
ment, production, or deployment of the nuclear-armed 
sea-launched cruise missile and its associated nuclear 
warhead. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nuclear SLCM Ban 
Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) The United States nuclear arsenal com-
prises approximately 3,800 nuclear warheads in the 
active stockpile and a force structure of long-range 
and short-range delivery systems, including— 
(A) land-based intercontinental ballistic 
missiles; 
(B) submarine-launched ballistic missiles 
that can deliver both low-yield and higher-yield 
nuclear warheads; 
(C) long-range strategic bomber aircraft 
capable of carrying nuclear-armed air-launched 
cruise missile and nuclear gravity bombs; and 
(D) short-range fighter aircraft that can 
deliver nuclear gravity bombs. 
(2) In 2010, the United States retired the nu-
clear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, or the 
TLAM–N, after concluding in the 2010 Nuclear 
Posture Review that the capability ‘‘serve[d] a re-
dundant purpose in the U.S. nuclear stockpile’’. 
(3) Ten years later, in 2020, the United States 
initiated studies into a new nuclear-armed sea- 
launched cruise missile and associated warhead, 
after concluding in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Re-
view that the weapon system would provide a ‘‘non- 
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strategic regional presence’’ and ‘‘an assured re-
sponse capability’’. 
(4) The United States possesses an array of nu-
clear weapons systems, including both air- and sea- 
based capabilities, that provide an effective regional 
deterrent presence, making the nuclear-armed sea- 
launched cruise missile a redundant, unnecessary ca-
pability. 
(5) 
Deploying 
nuclear-armed 
sea-launched 
cruise missiles on attack submarines or surface ships 
risks detracting from the core military missions of 
such submarines and ships, such as tracking enemy 
submarines, protecting United States carrier groups, 
and conducting conventional strikes on priority land 
targets. 
(6) 
Stationing 
nuclear-armed 
sea-launched 
cruise missiles on such submarines or ships also 
risks complicating port visits and joint operations 
with some allies and partners of the United States, 
which in turn would reduce the operational effective-
ness of such submarines and ships and the deterrent 
value of deployed nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise 
missiles. 
(7) A January 2019 analysis of the Congres-
sional Budget Office estimated that the projected 
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costs of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise mis-
sile program from 2019 to 2028 would total 
$9,000,000,000, adding additional costs and re-
source requirements to the United States nuclear 
modernization program and increasing pressure on 
the Navy budget as the service plans for increases 
in shipbuilding while funding the Columbia-class 
submarine program. 
(8) The cost of this new program will be larger, 
as this estimate did not account for costs related to 
integrating nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise mis-
siles on attack submarines or surface ships, nuclear 
weapons-specific training for Navy personnel, or 
storage and security for nuclear warheads. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR RESEARCH 
AND DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCTION, OR DE-
PLOYMENT 
OF 
NUCLEAR-ARMED 
SEA- 
LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE AND ASSOCI-
ATED WARHEAD. 
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or 
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2022 or any fiscal 
year thereafter for the Department of Defense or the De-
partment of Energy may be obligated or expended for the 
research and development, production, or deployment of 
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the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile and its as-
sociated nuclear warhead. 
Æ 
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