Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who this week voted against the Senate’s fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act because it would authorize the Department of Energy to create a low-yield nuclear warhead, has signaled her support for a 2019 budget bill that actually funds the weapon.
However, Feinstein also wants to amend the spending bill to prohibit DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) from starting development of future low-yield weapons without congressional authorization; the Senate’s just-passed 2019 National Defense Authorization Act would allow the NNSA to start initial development of other low-yield nuclear weapons simply by requesting funds to do so. Current law requires congressional approval for any warhead work beyond early feasibility and concept studies.
The Senate on Tuesday started debating the “minibus” appropriations package that would provide a little under $15 billion for the NNSA in 2019. The chamber had not scheduled a vote on Feinstein’s amendment, or the underlying bill, at deadline Wednesday for Weapons Complex Morning Briefing.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Feinstein suggested Tuesday she would not stand in the bill’s way: “On balance, I support this bill.”
Despite the support, “I strongly oppose funding for this new nuclear weapon. I firmly believe we already have enough nuclear weapons,” California’s four-term, senior senator said in her floor speech.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), wants to wall off half the funding NNSA requested for the low-yield warhead in 2019 until the Department of Energy and the Pentagon explain in more detail why they need the weapon, and whether it increases the odds of full-scale nuclear war.
As part of the Nuclear Posture Review published in February, the Donald Trump administration called on the NNSA to build a low-yield, submarine-launched ballistic-missile warhead. The House in May passed an NNSA budget that would provide the $65 million the agency sought for the weapon in 2019. The bill before the Senate would also provide $65 million.
In appropriations markups earlier this year, Feinstein said the NNSA thinks it will cost a total of $125 million over two years to produce an unspecified number of low-yield warheads.
