Potential Amendments to the FY09 Defense Authorization Bill Related to Iran, Missile Defense, and Nuclear Weapons

Provided below is a list of amendments related to Iran, missile defense, and nuclear weapons submitted to the House Rules Committee for the FY09 Defense Authorization bill. It is unclear which amendments the Committee will permit to be offered.

Iran

Franks (AZ), #53
States the Sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should develop and maintain a viable military option to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from successfully developing or deploying a nuclear weapons capability.

Spratt (SC), #128
Requires the DNI, on an annual basis, to submit to Congress an update of the National Intelligence Estimate entitled "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities" and dated November 2007. Such update may be submitted in classified form. The President shall notify Congress in writing within 15 days of determining that Iran has met or surpassed any major milestone in its nuclear weapons program or that Iran has undertaken to accelerate, decelerate, or cease the development of any significant element within its nuclear weapons program.

Missile Defense

Bishop, Sanford (GA), #95
Would provide 180 days of transitional health care to those service members who separate honorably from active duty and agree to serve in the Guard or Selected Reserve at no charge to the service member. It would offset the cost by cutting $22 million from the Missile Defense Agency.

Franks (AZ), #52
Would add $719 million to the Missile Defense Agency’s budget. This amendment directs the Department of Defense to utilize the $719 million for Theater High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, and Tests & Targets within the Missile Defense Agency account portfolio. The offset for the $719 million is to be determined by the Secretary of Defense from title II of the bill (Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation).

Franks (AZ), #54
Would add $300 million to the Missile Defense Agency’s budget for Theater High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense. The $300 million shall be divided between both programs in a manner deemed appropriate by the Department of Defense. The offset for the $300 million would be determined by the Secretary of Defense from accounts outside of the MDA portfolio of Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation accounts

Gonzalez (TX), #26
Would rename the “National Casualty Care Research Center” as the "National Casualty Care and Trauma Research Center.” It also changes the authorization level for this Center from $1 million to $5 million. The increase is offset by a $4 million reduction in the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program.

Tierney (MA), #115
Would reduce funding for the Missile Defense Agency by $966.2 million. It would provide $75 million for the Cooperation Threat Reduction program, $592 million for the nonproliferation and WMD programs of the Energy Department, $30 million for impact aid to help local educational agencies provide support to dependents of service members, $30 million for family support of wounded service members, $30 million for suicide prevention programs for service members, and $10 million for a pilot program to identify and retrain wounded service members as military health professionals to treat other wounded service members. Any remaining funds would be used to fund National Guard and Reserve shortfalls, especially in connection with homeland security activities.

Tierney (MA), #116
Provides that it is the policy of the United States not to deploy any weapon system designed to intercept an intermediate-range or long-range ballistic missile until the Defense Secretary certifies to Congress that the weapon system has successfully demonstrated the ability to track, detect, and intercept a warhead launched by a facsimile of the missiles expected to be deploye

Nuclear Weapons

Pearce (NM), #39
Would amend title XXXI (DOE National Security Programs) to remove $10 million in funding for energy conservation on military installations and increase funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead program by $10 million.

Pearce (NM), #40
Provides that of the $9.3 billion authorized for the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (title XXXI of the bill), the amount authorized for the directed stockpile is increased by $50 million, of which $35 million is for Pit Manufacturing and $15 million is for Pit Manufacturing Capability. The increase is offset by a $50 million reduction in funds for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative.

Schiff (CA), #13
Would require the Defense Secretary to study methods to verifiably reduce the likelihood of accidental nuclear launch by removing weapons of the United States, Russia, China, and others from hair-trigger alert. The Secretary must report to Congress on the results of the study within 6 months.

Schiff (CA), #14
Would require the Energy Secretary to prepare a research and development plan to prioritize research and development efforts at DOE and the national labs overseen by DOE. The plan should describe the technical capabilities required (1) to enable a robust nuclear forensic response to a nuclear explosion or interdiction of nuclear materials or weapons worldwide and (2) to develop an international database containing data on nuclear material to enable the attribution of nuclear material or weapons to their sources. DOE shall report to the congressional defense committees within 6 months on the plan and within 18 months on implementation of the plan