UPDATE 5/18, 12:00 PM: Post now includes results of roll call votes that occurred this morning.
The House began consideration of the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4310) yesterday and plans to complete action on amendments and hold a final vote on the bill this afternoon. Below is a summary of the key amendments debated (and not ruled in order by the Rules Committee) on nuclear weapons and missile defense. We’ll have a full wrap up and analysis when the House finishes the bill.
Quick summary: the HASC version of the bill was bad, but the final House version of the bill will be worse.
Action on Amendments to Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill(The numbers to the left of the permitted amendments are listed in the Rules Committee amendment list and may be the order in which the amendments are brought up on the House floor.)
11. Long-range bomber: Markey(D-MA)-Welch (D-VT)-Conyers (D-MI) amendment #64 to delay the development of the new long-range nuclear-capable bomber by ten years and the funding in the bill would be reduced by $291,742,000, which is the amount planned for this bomber. Failed 112-308.
12. Missile defense spending: Polis (D-CO)-Sanchez (D-CA) amendment #198 to eliminate the additional $403 million approved by the committee for the Ground Based Midcourse Defense System based in California and Alaska, still leaving approximately $858 million for the troubled program. Failed 165-252.
(more below the jump)
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: East Coast missile defense: Garamendi (D-CA) amendment #130 to eliminate the requirement to build an East Coast missile defense site by 2015, and to substitute a Pentagon study of the plan instead.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Missile defense interceptors: Langevin (D-RI) amendment #176 to bar procurement of additional ground-based interceptors equipped with a Capability Enhancement II exoatmospheric kill vehicle for the system based in Alaska and California until after a successful operational test. Allows exceptions for test assets and maintenance of a warm line for the industrial base.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Nuclear weapons reductions: Larsen, Rick (D-WA)-Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA) amendment #221 (submitted late) to provide that the Secretary of Defense shall not be prohibited from proceeding with the planned reductions of nuclear weapons.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Nuclear weapons complex funding: Polis (D-CO)-Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA) amendment #165 to cut the additional $324 million above the requested level included by the committee for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons activities account, still leaving $7.6 billion.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Los Alamos facility: Markey (D-MA), Sanchez (D-CA), Hank Johnson (D-GA) amendment #67 to delete $100 million for the Los Alamos, N.M., nuclear weapons laboratory’s plutonium pit production facility (Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Project ) [CMRR-NF].
30. Nuclear weapons in South Korea: Johnson, Hank (GA) amendment #212 (submitted late) to oppose deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. Failed 160-261.
31. Nuclear weapons reductions: Johnson, Hank (GA) amendment #210 (submitted late) to require the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to report to Congress regarding whether nuclear weapons reductions pursuant to the New START Treaty are in the national security interests of the United States. Failed 175-245.
55. U.S. Enrichment Corporation: Pearce (R-NM)-Markey (D-MA) amendment #195 to strike section 3156 from the bill authorizing $150 million for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation. Failed 121-300.
102. Nuclear weapons costs: Larsen, Rick (D-WA)-Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA) amendment #220 (submitted late, revised) to require a report on the costs of maintaining and modernizing the nuclear deterrent. Adopted by voice vote as part of an en bloc amendment.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Nuclear Facility Safety: Adam Smith (D-WA) amendment #150 would reverse restrictions on the authority of the Secretary of Energy, enabling higher-level and independent oversight of nuclear facilities and operations.
GOP REFUSE TO ALLOW TO BE DEBATED: Worker safety and health: Miller, George (D-CA), Visclosky (D-IN), Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA) amendment #167 to exclude nuclear and non-nuclear health and safety, security and financial oversight of covered contractors from the scope of performance-based oversight requirements for National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) contractors and delete Section 3115.
32. Nuclear weapons reductions: Price (R-GA) amendment #6 to prohibit the President from unilaterally entering into any agreement that would decrease the size of our nuclear arsenal. Debated but vote postponed. Approved 241-179.
50. Non-proliferation funding in Russia: Lamborn (R-CO) amendment #88 to limit non-proliferation spending in Russia until Russia stops helping Syria, Iran, North Korea, although the Secretary of Energy is provided waiver authority. Adopted by voice vote.
54. Non-proliferation funding in Russia: Franks (R-AZ) amendment #10 to limit non-proliferation spending in Russia. Approved 241-181.
59. Nuclear weapons reductions and maintaining the nuclear triad: Rehberg (R-MT), Lummis (R-WY) amendment #100 to ban any reductions to the strategic nuclear triad unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that: 1) further reductions in the Russia Federation’s arsenal are needed for compliance with New START limits; and 2) Russia is not developing or deploying nuclear delivery systems capable of reaching the U.S. not covered by New START limits. Would also protect all three legs of the nuclear triad from elimination. Approved 238-162 .
