The Senate Armed Services Committee overwhelmingly approved a National Defense Authorization Act that would authorize more than requested for the National Nuclear Security Administration, but a floor vote on the bill will wait until after July 4.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday said they are mostly opposed to increasing defense spending beyond existing budget caps unless domestic spending also gets to break the rules.
That was less than a week after the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 14 voted 22-3 to advance the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the floor with provisions that would authorize $25 billion to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), according to a bill summary.
That matches what the full House approved last week for the nuclear-weapons agency.
When the full Senate does debate provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), they will consider proposals including:
- Requiring the Department of Energy to establish two to four possible locations for a new uranium enrichment facility no later than 2027.
- Directing the NNSA and the Department of Defense to strategize about developing a skilled manufacturing workforce to expand the civilian agency’s nuclear weapons complex.
- Directing the NNSA to review construction costs, schedule performance, and nuclear modernization projects.
- Direct a briefing on the justification for the Tritium Finishing Facility at Savannah River Site in South Carolina for stockpile maintenance.
- A briefing on outstanding issues with land use at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
- Require restoring the nuclear capabilities of some B-52 bombers.
- Require development of the B61-13 gravity bomb.
- Authorizing NNSA to spend $70 million for development of a warhead for the nuclear armed sea-launched missile. The warhead, in the Senate bill, is called W80-X ALT-SLCM.
“This bill shows there is bipartisan support for doing more to maintain deterrence and protect American interests,” Senate Armed Services Committee’s ranking Republican Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in a press release.
Similar to the House’s version of the bill, the Senate NDAA would also authorize $252 million to support the Navy’s development of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, and would support the construction of a second Virginia-class submarine with additional funding in fiscal year 2025.
