New START Treaty Improvement Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2707 To limit funding for any extension of the New START Treaty or any suc- cessor agreement unless the agreement includes the People’s Republic of China and covers all strategic and non-strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 14, 2019 Ms. CHENEY (for herself, Mr. BANKS, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. LAMBORN, and Mr. TURNER) introduced the following bill; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Com- mittee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with- in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To limit funding for any extension of the New START Treaty or any successor agreement unless the agreement includes the People’s Republic of China and covers all strategic and non-strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘New START Treaty 4 Improvement Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2707 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress makes the following findings: 2 (1) The United States and the Russian Federa- 3 tion signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Trea- 4 ty (the ‘‘New START Treaty’’) on April 8, 2010. 5 (2) The United States Senate advised and con- 6 sented to the the treaty on December 22, 2010, by 7 a vote of 71-26. 8 (3) The Senate resolution advising and con- 9 senting to the ratification of the New START Trea- 10 ty states that ‘‘prior to the entry into force of the 11 New START Treaty, the President shall certify to 12 the Senate that. . .the United States will seek to 13 initiate. . .not later than one year after the entry 14 into force of the New START Treaty, negotiations 15 with the Russian Federation on an agreement to ad- 16 dress the disparity between the non-strategic (tac- 17 tical) nuclear weapons stockpiles of the Russian 18 Federation and of the United States’’. 19 (4) The New START Treaty is due to expire in 20 February 2021. 21 (5) The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review states— 22 (A) ‘‘While the United States has contin- 23 ued to reduce the number and salience of nu- 24 clear weapons, others, including Russia and 25 China, have moved in the opposite direction. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2707 IH Russia has expanded and improved its strategic 1 and non-strategic nuclear forces. China’s mili- 2 tary modernization has resulted in an expanded 3 nuclear force, with little to no transparency into 4 its intentions.’’; 5 (B) ‘‘Russia is developing and deploying 6 new nuclear warheads and launchers. These ef- 7 forts include multiple upgrades for every leg of 8 the Russian nuclear triad of strategic bombers, 9 sea-based missiles, and landbased missiles. Rus- 10 sia is also developing at least two new inter- 11 continental range systems, a hypersonic glide 12 vehicle, and a new intercontinental, nuclear- 13 armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous 14 torpedo.’’; 15 (C) ‘‘[Russia] is also building a large, di- 16 verse, and modern set of non-strategic systems 17 that are dual-capable. . .These theater- and 18 tactical-range systems are not accountable 19 under the New START Treaty’’; 20 (D) ‘‘China continues to increase the num- 21 ber, capabilities, and protection of its nuclear 22 forces.’’; and 23 (E) ‘‘China has developed a new road-mo- 24 bile strategic intercontinental ballistic missile 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2707 IH (ICBM), a new multi-warhead version of its 1 DF5 silo-based ICBM, and its most advanced 2 ballistic missile submarine armed with new sub- 3 marine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). It 4 has also announced development of a new nu- 5 clear-capable strategic bomber, giving China a 6 nuclear triad.’’. 7 (6) On April 4, 2019, President Donald J. 8 Trump stated, ‘‘Between Russia and China and us, 9 we’re all making hundreds of billions of dollars 10 worth of weapons, including nuclear, which is ridicu- 11 lous. . .and I would say that China will come along, 12 and I would say Russia will come along. It doesn’t 13 really make sense that we’re doing this.’’. 14 (7) In testimony before the Committee on For- 15 eign Relations of the Senate on April 10, 2019, Sec- 16 retary of State Mike Pompeo stated, in response to 17 a question about extending the New START treaty, 18 that ‘‘we need to make sure that we’ve got all of the 19 parties that are relevant as a component of this as 20 well’’. 21 (8) On March 16, 2019, National Security Ad- 22 visor John Bolton stated, ‘‘China is building up its 23 nuclear capacity now. It’s. . .one reason why if 24 we’re going to have another arms control negotia- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 2707 IH tion, for example, with the Russians, it may make 1 sense to include China in that discussion as well’’. 2 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 3 It is the sense of Congress that— 4 (1) arms control is beneficial for both United 5 States national security and international stability, 6 but the United States should not enter arms control 7 agreements that impose unilateral restrictions on the 8 United States Armed Forces and fail to properly ac- 9 count for the nuclear arsenals of all near-peer com- 10 petitors in the international system; and 11 (2) any New START Treaty extension or suc- 12 cessor agreement must be a trilateral arrangement 13 among the United States, the Russian Federation, 14 and the People’s Republic of China. 15 SEC. 4. WITHHOLDING OF FUNDS. 16 No funds shall be expended to implement a New 17 START Treaty extension or any successor agreement un- 18 less the New START Treaty or such successor agree- 19 ment— 20 (1) includes and is signed by the People’s Re- 21 public of China; and 22 (2) covers all strategic and non-strategic nu- 23 clear forces held by the Russian Federation, includ- 24 ing— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HR 2707 IH (A) the RS–28 Sarmat (SS–X–30) inter- 1 continental ballistic missile system; 2 (B) the 9M730 Burevestnik (SSC–X–9) 3 nuclear-powered cruise missile system; 4 (C) the KH–47M2 Kinzhal air-launched 5 hypersonic missile system; 6 (D) the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide 7 vehicle system; and 8 (E) the Status–6 (Kanyon) unmanned un- 9 dersea vehicle. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:39 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2707.IH H2707 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS