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February 12, 2020 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Dianne Feinsteinissued the following statement on new funding for nuclear weapons in President Trump’s budget:

“President Trump’s budget includes $15.6 billion for nuclear weapons, $3.1 billion more than last year. It also includes $3.2 billion for hypersonic weapons, an entirely new class of weapon that we just don’t need.

“This unnecessary spending is likely to spark a new arms race with Russia and China. Simply put, these are not the priorities on which we should spend taxpayer dollars – particularly at the expense of critical domestic programs – and I will do everything I can to block them.

“Since taking office, the president has pushed to increase funding for nuclear weapons by 50 percent, pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear treaty, withdrew from the INF treaty and suggested he may not extend the New START treaty.

“The administration is also pursuing low-yield weapons to fight so-called ‘limited’ nuclear wars, including announcing it deployed them on submarine-launched ballistic missiles last week. Those are reckless actions and have only made nuclear war more likely.

“Now the president is proposing a budget that dangerously increases spending on new nuclear weapons and leaves funding for nuclear nonproliferation programs flat. The United States should be working to rid the world of nuclear weapons, not creating new types and a larger stockpile. This budget abandons that effort and should be immediately rejected.”

Nuclear weapons funding in president’s budget

  • Increases nuclear weapons spending by $3.1 billion, a 25 percent increase.

  • Includes $1.5 billion for new land-based nuclear missiles, a nearly 300 percent increase.

  • Proposes building a new submarine-launched nuclear warhead, the W93.

  • Increases plutonium pit production and other strategic materials funding by $900 million, a 57 percent increase.

  • Includes no new funding for nuclear nonproliferation programs.
    Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein