The House of Representatives is moving forward with plans to direct the Defense Department to begin work on an intermediate-range ground-launched missile despite pushback from the White House, striking amendments opposing the move from the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act it passed today in a 344-81 vote.
The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee in its mark of the bill called for a “program of record” for a system with a range specifically prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: 500 to 5,500 kilometers. It would also direct the White House to report to Congress within 15 months of the bill’s enactment on whether Russia remains in violation of the treaty; if so, the United States would no longer be bound by the 1987 accord’s prohibition on producing or flight-testing such systems.
The U.S. government has concluded that Russia has deployed its own ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the treaty, leading some lawmakers to suggest the United States abandon the agreement and introduce its own such missile.
The White House said Tuesday in an NDAA policy statement that it opposes any move that “unhelpfully ties the Administration to a specific missile system, which would limit potential military response options” to Russia’s violation of the treaty. Instead, the administration “would support broad authorization of research and development on missile systems, including those prohibited by the treaty, to determine candidate systems that could become programs of record.”
The House Rules Committee approved this week for floor debate half of the roughly 400 amendments filed on the bill, which would authorize up to $14.2 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, up from the $13.9 billion requested by the agency for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Lawmakers began debating nuclear-weapon-related amendments to the bill Wednesday on the House floor, including one from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) that would prevent U.S. development of such a midrange system until completion of the new Nuclear Posture Review and assurances from the defense secretary that this is the preferred option to maintain strategic stability with Russia, among related requirements. The amendment ultimately failed Thursday by recorded vote.
Meanwhile, the Senate version of the NDAA, released this week, would authorize $65 million for a research and development program for a dual-capable road-mobile ground-launched missile system with a maximum range of 5,500 kilometers – a direction the White House seems to prefer. The agreement does not prohibit research and development of such missiles.
The split between the two chambers on the INF Treaty issue will have to be reconciled before the final NDAA is sent to the president.
While House lawmakers struck down several other nuclear-weapon-related amendments this week, they approved the following:
- An amendment from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) that would prohibit funding for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization’s Preparatory Commission, except for funds that go toward the International Monitoring System deployed for detection of nuclear tests.
- An amendment from Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) that would prohibit reducing the number of deployed ICBMs below New START treaty levels. The United States currently deploys 405 Minuteman III ICBMs at three Air Force bases; Cheney’s amendment would prohibit cutting that number below 400.
- Another Cheney amendment that requires a report from the president on available response options in case Russia fails to cut its nuclear arsenal in accordance with New START by the February 2018 deadline.
- An amendment from Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) requiring the NNSA to give Congress a list of unfunded agency priorities.
- An amendment from Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) that requires the president and Cabinet members to develop a plan for the verification and monitoring of potential nuclear weapon and fissile material proliferation.
- An amendment from Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) that requires the heads of the NNSA and State Department to develop a plan to minimize the use of highly-enriched uranium for medical isotopes.
- An amendment by New Mexico Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (D), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), and Steve Pearce (R) that requires the NNSA to notify Congress on the recommended alternative for recapitalization of plutonium production capabilities, to be certified by the Defense Department and the analysis of alternatives to be reviewed by the Government Accountability Office.
