S.Amdt. 5721
What it does: Adds SEC. 3118. PLAN TO ACCELERATE RESTORATION OF DOMESTIC URANIUM ENRICHMENT at the end of subtitle B of title XXXI
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)What it changes
1 change to S.Amdt. 5499 · shown in S.Amdt. 5499's text
Adds SEC. 3118. PLAN TO ACCELERATE RESTORATION OF DOMESTIC URANIUM ENRICHMENT at the end of subtitle B of title XXXI
Adds a sectionIn S.Amdt. 5499 as proposed
(5) in subsection (e), by striking "2026" and inserting "2031".
Inserted: SEC. 3118. PLAN TO ACCELERATE RESTORATION OF DOMESTIC URANIUM ENRICHMENT.
Inserted: (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
Inserted: (1) the United States is engaged in a period of intense strategic competition with 2 peer adversaries, each of which aims to develop nuclear forces superior to the nuclear forces of the United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
Inserted: (2) successfully deterring the aims of such adversaries and preserving the national security of the United States and the security of its allies requires that the United States maintain a capable, credible nuclear force, including the capability to produce the materials needed to manufacture nuclear weapons and provide reliable sources of energy for naval vessels and military facilities; and
Inserted: (3) a key component to achieving those goals is the restoration of the domestic uranium enrichment capability of the United States, a component that will allow the United States to make significant strides toward improved energy independence by reducing reliance on international sources of enriched uranium and opening up tremendous opportunities for improving the competitiveness of the United States in the international energy economy.
Inserted: (b) Plan.--
Inserted: (1) In general.--Not later than June 1, 2023, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Administrator for Nuclear Security, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a plan to restore the domestic uranium enrichment capability of the United States by not later than 2035.
Inserted: (2) Elements.--The plan required by paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:
Inserted: (A) Recommendations restore unobligated uranium production, conversion and enrichment capabilities, including production of high-enriched uranium--
Inserted: (i) to refurbish the nuclear weapons stockpile of the United States over a period of not more than 30 years;
Inserted: (ii) to satisfy the annual requirements of the United States for naval reactor fuel, including projections for satisfying fuel requirements for all submarines developed using reactor designs and technology of the United States; and
Inserted: (iii) to satisfy the annual requirements of the United States for defense nuclear power reactors.
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Inserted: (B) Recommendations to improve the production capacity of unobligated low-enriched uranium needed to satisfy annual tritium production requirements for the nuclear weapons stockpile of the United States and associated research and development objectives.
Inserted: (C) Such other recommendations and information as the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator for Nuclear Security consider appropriate.
Original wording
At the end of subtitle B of title XXXI, add the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 5721. Mr. COTTON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle B of title XXXI, add the following:
SEC. 3118. PLAN TO ACCELERATE RESTORATION OF DOMESTIC URANIUM ENRICHMENT.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States is engaged in a period of intense strategic competition with 2 peer adversaries, each of which aims to develop nuclear forces superior to the nuclear forces of the United States and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
(2) successfully deterring the aims of such adversaries and preserving the national security of the United States and the security of its allies requires that the United States maintain a capable, credible nuclear force, including the capability to produce the materials needed to manufacture nuclear weapons and provide reliable sources of energy for naval vessels and military facilities; and
(3) a key component to achieving those goals is the restoration of the domestic uranium enrichment capability of the United States, a component that will allow the United States to make significant strides toward improved energy independence by reducing reliance on international sources of enriched uranium and opening up tremendous opportunities for improving the competitiveness of the United States in the international energy economy.
(b) Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than June 1, 2023, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Administrator for Nuclear Security, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a plan to restore the domestic uranium enrichment capability of the United States by not later than 2035.
(2) Elements.--The plan required by paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:
(A) Recommendations restore unobligated uranium production, conversion and enrichment capabilities, including production of high-enriched uranium--
(i) to refurbish the nuclear weapons stockpile of the United States over a period of not more than 30 years;
(ii) to satisfy the annual requirements of the United States for naval reactor fuel, including projections for satisfying fuel requirements for all submarines developed using reactor designs and technology of the United States; and
(iii) to satisfy the annual requirements of the United States for defense nuclear power reactors.
(B) Recommendations to improve the production capacity of unobligated low-enriched uranium needed to satisfy annual tritium production requirements for the nuclear weapons stockpile of the United States and associated research and development objectives.
(C) Such other recommendations and information as the Secretary of Defense or the Administrator for Nuclear Security consider appropriate.
Legislative Activity
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Senate amendment submitted
September 27, 2022