This bill aims to significantly reduce how much the U.S. spends on nuclear weapons and scale back the size of the nuclear arsenal. Right now, the government is projected to spend nearly $1 trillion over the next decade just to maintain and upgrade nuclear weapons—money that supporters of this bill argue could be used elsewhere.

The bill makes several specific cuts: it limits the number of nuclear-armed submarines the military can build, reduces the number of land-based missiles from 400 to 150, and caps deployed nuclear warheads at 1,000. It also blocks funding for several new weapons systems, including new cruise missiles, a new type of intercontinental missile, and prevents the F-35 fighter jet from being equipped to carry nuclear weapons. The bill stops production of low-yield nuclear warheads, which are smaller bombs designed for battlefield use rather than large-scale destruction.

The bill also halts funding for several nuclear production facilities and weapons upgrades, including a uranium processing facility in Tennessee and a new warhead design. It requires the Defense and Energy departments to submit detailed plans and cost estimates showing how they'll implement these reductions and how much money will be saved. Supporters argue that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is oversized and outdated from the Cold War era, and that even military experts have said the country could reduce its weapons by a third and still meet national security needs. The bill essentially forces the government to make these reductions by prohibiting spending on these programs starting in 2026.