A S.A.N.E. future would cut at least $75 billion from the bloated nuclear weapons budget

[Tony Nuspl]

Washington (October 29, 2019) –

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) today reintroduced bicameral legislation that would cut $75 billion from the wasteful nuclear weapons budget over the next decade. The Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act improves national security and budgetary sanity by cutting redundant and destabilizing nuclear programs. Upgrading and maintaining nuclear warheads and production facilities over the next 30 years is expected to cost between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The House bill has eight co-sponsors.

 

“The United States should fund education, not annihilation; that is our future,” said Senator Markey. “We need sanity when crafting America’s budget priorities, and more and improved nuclear weapons defies common sense. President Trump wants nothing more than to cut Medicaid, Head Start, and affordable housing programs, but has no problem wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on new nuclear weapons that could undermine deterrence and make us less safe. The SANE Act cuts nuclear weapons and delivery systems that we don’t need so we can invest in the people and programs that will make America safe and prosperous in the future.”

 

“These disastrous weapons will never be the answer to solving our complex and ever-changing national security threats, especially with a reckless administration in charge of the codes,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “We should not be investing trillions of dollars of our budget on an outdated and irresponsible nuclear arsenal. There are far more important programs and initiatives that will actually help and protect the American people. This legislation will put us on the path towards a safer, nuclear-free future.”

 

A copy of the SANE Act can be found HERE.

 

The Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act will prohibit the fielding of so-called “low-yield” warheads, prohibit space-based missile defense, remove the nuclear mission from the F-35 and will:

• Reduce the purchase of Columbia-class submarines from 12 to 8, cut the existing ICBM fleet from over 400 to 150, and reduce deployed strategic warheads from approximately 1,500 to 1,000 - saving $13.1 billion
• Cancel the development of a new air-launched cruise missile and an associated warhead life extension program - saving $13.3 billion
• Reduce to 80 the purchase of new B-21 long-range bombers - saving $11.6 billion
• Cancel the development of new ICBMs and a new nuclear warhead - saving $13.6 billion
• Cancel the development of a new submarine-launched cruise missile - saving $9 billion
• Limit the plutonium pit production target to 30 per year - saving $9 billion
• Prohibit funding for a nuclear processing facility - saving $2.6 billion
• Retire the B83-1 megaton bomb as previously planned - saving $4.4 billion

 

The legislation is endorsed by Ploughshares Fund, Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND), Peace Action, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Global Security Institute, and World Future Council.

https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-an...