As I’ve noted in prior posts, the House voted on more than two dozen amendments to the FY 2017 defense appropriations bill. Here, I would like to highlight one about the nuclear arsenal.
Mike Quigley (IL-05) offered an amendment to reduce funding for the Long Range Standoff Weapon by $75,802,000 and reallocate that money toward savings.
He explained the importance of the amendment in the floor speech below:
Mr. Chairman, the Air Force currently plans to acquire 1,000 next generation air launched cruise missiles, also known as the Long Range Standoff weapon.
This is double the size of the existing nuclear-armed cruise missile arsenal.
However, many experts have already told us there is no need for nuclear armed cruise missiles.
We already have the most advanced bomber ever created in our arsenal, the B-2 stealth bomber, and the Air Force will be acquiring new B-21 stealth bombers.
These bombers are capable of penetrating enemy airspace and dropping a nuclear bomb directly above a target, making nuclear armed cruise missiles redundant.
And if we decide we want to shoot nuclear missiles from thousands of miles away, we still have very expensive submarines and very expensive ICBMs capable of doing just that.
Instead of investing more dollars into our outdated and oversized nuclear arsenal, we must make smart investments on other priorities that actually keep Americans safe, or on reducing our unsustainable debt and deficits.
Yet, last year’s budget doubled down and accelerated the production of the missile by two years to FY2025.
The accelerated procurement schedule will cost taxpayers an additional $75.8 million more in FY2017 than originally planned in the FY2015 acquisition schedule.
But that makes little sense when there is so much uncertainty about whether this missile is affordable or even necessary.
That’s why my amendment will put $75.8 million towards deficit reduction by placing funding for the Long Range Standoff weapon back on its FY2015 acquisition schedule.
There’s no need to rush development when, as little as two years ago, the Air Force had requested a delay in procurement to pay for higher priorities, before changing its mind a year later.
On top of that, the existing air launched cruise missile and warhead isn’t being phased out until the 2030’s.
I ask my colleagues to support my common sense amendment to maintain funding at the program’s FY 2015 acquisition schedule, and save the taxpayers $75.8 million in the process.
Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.
The amendment failed 159 to 261.
154 Democrats and 5 Republicans voted for it. 235 Republicans and 26 Democrats voted against it.
Here are the 26 Democrats:
Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
Gwen Graham (FL-02)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Ben Lujan (NM-03)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Bobby Scott (VA-03)
David Scott (GA-13)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Kyrsten Sienma (AZ-09)
Louise Slaugher (NY-25)