June 8, 2020

Today Representatives Dina Titus (NV-1) and Steven Horsford (NV-4) introduced the Preserving Leadership Against Nuclear Explosives Testing (PLANET) Act. This bill, which is the House companion to legislation introduced by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), would prevent the Trump Administration from restarting explosive nuclear weapons testing. According to a report by The Washington Post, senior Trump Administration have recently discussed conducting an explosive nuclear test. 

"Decades ago, the Cold War Patriots risked their lives at the Nevada Test Site to protect our freedom and defend democracy around the world,” said Congresswoman Titus (NV-1). “Today, the Trump Administration is considering asking Nevadans to put themselves in harm's way for an unjustified experiment that would make our country less secure. We must continue to ensure the safety and reliability of our nuclear stockpile without encouraging other nations to conduct tests of nuclear weapons. I’m introducing this legislation to stop the Trump Administration from needlessly putting Nevadans and all Americans in danger.”

“The Trump administration has repeatedly advocated for policies that would compromise the safety of Nevadans, and this recent discussion of resuming nuclear testing in our state is yet another example of such disrespect,” said Congressman Horsford (NV-4). “Every year for the last two decades, the Secretaries of Defense and Energy have reported that the U.S. stockpile is safe, secure, and effective in the absence of nuclear testing. Resuming nuclear testing would open a door to allow other nations to openly conduct nuclear test explosions while imposing immense financial and health costs on the American people.”

Over the last two decades, the Secretaries of Defense and Energy have certified each year that the U.S. stockpile is effective and secure. In fact, the Department of Energy’s lab directors have assessed that the federal government knows more about its nuclear stockpile through the Stockpile Stewardship Program than it did during the era of testing. 

Specifically, the PLANET Act would:

• Prohibit the use of funds appropriated in Fiscal Year 2021or from any previous year to prepare for or to conduct an explosive nuclear test that produces any yield

• Allow for stockpile stewardship activities that are consistent with U.S. law – such as certifying the safety, security and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile – so long as those activities are consistent with the “zero-yield” scope of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

On June 5, Congresswoman Titus (NV-1) joined Congressman Ami Bera (CA-7) and 23 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to express “grave concern with reports that a resumption of explosive nuclear testing is under consideration by the Trump administration.”

The PLANET Act is sponsored by Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1) and it is co-sponsored by Representatives Horsford (NV-4), Heck (WA-10), Lee (CA-13), Huffman (CA-2), Rush (IL-1), Gallego (AZ-7), Beyer (VA-8), Gabbard (HI-2), McGovern (MA-2), and Kennedy (MA-4).