On the recordJuly 10, 2019
I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chair, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee probably has the heaviest responsibility of any in Congress, or possibly in the world, because authorizing nuclear weapons affects the fate of the Nation and of the planet. I thank all of our subcommittee members and our wonderful staff for their hard work on this bill. The most important duty of our government is to defend the Nation, and the number one priority of the Defense Department is to make sure that we have safe, secure, reliable, and effective nuclear weapons. This subcommittee has a long tradition of bipartisanship on these vital issues. This bill upholds our commitment to maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent force. We owe it to our constituents, to our allies, and to the planet to strengthen and preserve the remarkable peace and prosperity that the world has known for the last 75 years. As an example, this bill funds the National Nuclear Security Administration at 4.3 percent over last year's appropriation, which also means a $608 million increase to the NNSA Weapons Activities programs. We take steps to reduce the risk of nuclear miscalculation. This bill denies President Trump's request for a new low-yield nuclear weapon for use on our nuclear submarines, a request that would undermine our security. The last 60 years of nuclear deterrent strategy were based, in large part, on the U.S.…
