Fischer, King, Wicker Introduce Bill to Overhaul American Nuclear Preparedness, Address Future Threats from China and Russia

Restoring American Deterrence Act Based on Key Recommendations from the Strategic Posture Commission

"We Need to Take Action Today"

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, introduced the Restoring American Deterrence Act. The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee.

The comprehensive, bipartisan legislation would overhaul U.S. nuclear preparedness and enact key updates to America's strategic posture. The Restoring American Deterrence Act contains multiple provisions aimed at ensuring that the U.S. can continue to deter China and Russia into the future.

The legislation is based on recommendations from the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States.

"We need to take action today to meet the threats of tomorrow. Our current strategy is based on flawed, outdated assumptions from 2010 that will not be enough to effectively deter our peer nuclear adversaries like China and Russia in the future. The bipartisan Restoring American Deterrence Act is the landmark solution we need. Our legislation lays a solid foundation for the Departments of Defense and Energy to maintain a safe, reliable, and credible deterrent for decades to come," said Senator Fischer.Background:

Last year, the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States released its comprehensive report, which includes a review of the current and projected threat environment; an assessment of America's current nuclear weapons policies; and key recommendations to update our strategic posture and nuclear weapons strategy.

The report concluded that the U.S. is on the cusp of having two nuclear peer adversaries - for the first time in history - in China and Russia and noted that both seek to change the international status quo, by force, if necessary. The Commissioners wrote: "It is an existential challenge for which the United States is ill-prepared, unless its leaders make decisions now to adjust the U.S. strategic posture."

In October, Senators Fischer and King released a joint statement praising the report.

Click here to view text of the legislation.

Legislation:
Senator Fischer's Restoring American Deterrence Act includes multiple provisions based on the Commission's recommendations, including:

• Statement of Policy: States that it is the policy of the United States to deter strategic attacks and to ensure that the Secretaries of Defense and Energy are equipped with the resources needed to maintain an effective strategic deterrent.

• Updated Force Sizing Requirements: Requires the Department of Defense to develop a strategy to match any projected threats, including an assessment of the amount and type of nuclear weapons necessary to implement the strategy.

• Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment (ITW/AA) Modernization: Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a plan to modernize the ITW/AA system.

• National Workforce Strategy: Requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with other Cabinet members, to develop a strategy to promote the development of a skilled manufacturing and vocational trade workforce to expand the national technology and industrial base and nuclear security enterprise.

• National Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Strategy: Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a comprehensive architecture for defending against all forms of missile attacks, including various capabilities to address non-ballistic and ballistic missile threats.

• Preparation for Possible Deployment of Additional ICBMs: Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to develop a plan for procuring and deploying an additional 50 Sentinel ICBMs above the current plan.

• Restructuring of How the Office of the Secretary of Defense Oversees and Coordinates Nuclear Matters: Establishes an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence Policy and Programs ASD(N) within the Department of Defense. This official would be the top civilian advisor on nuclear deterrence policies, operations, and associated programs within senior Department management.

• NNSA Management and Process Improvements: Clarifies that the production and performance of nuclear weapons is the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) primary responsibility. This section also includes changes to the Atomic Energy Defense Act regarding stockpile stewardship programs, the release of land for local reuse, and cost and schedules for new nuclear weapons programs.

• Defense Production Act: Amends the Defense Production Act to increase the threshold of a loan guarantee from $50 million to $150 million and increase the threshold of the overall DPA from $750 million to $1.5 billion, recognizing the impact of inflation on overall costs, and the expected need for increased use of this tool to bolster our defense industrial base and nuclear security enterprise.

• Domestic Uranium Enrichment Capability: Requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct an assessment to evaluate 2-4 locations in the U.S. best suited to host facilities to enrich uranium, including highly enriched uranium (HEU). The section would require a report to Congress on the initial cost assessment for at least one facility and a statement declaring a preferred location or locations for a facility or facilities.

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