H.R. 669: Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2025 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, titled the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2025, aims to place restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons by the United States. The main objectives of the bill can be summarized as follows:

Purpose and Policy Declaration

The bill asserts that:

The Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war.
The decision to initiate a war, especially one involving nuclear weapons, should be made by representatives of the people rather than a single individual, such as the President.
Given the destructive potential of nuclear weapons, a first-use strike would be a significant act of war that should not be initiated without Congressional approval.
The bill expresses a policy that the United States should not conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless there is a formal declaration of war by Congress.

Prohibition on First-Use Nuclear Strikes

The bill prohibits the use of federal funds for a first-use nuclear strike unless it is sanctioned by a Congressional declaration of war that specifically allows for such a strike. A first-use nuclear strike is defined in the bill as an attack using nuclear weapons that occurs without the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirming to the President that there has already been a nuclear attack against the United States or its allies.

Background and Implications

In essence, this legislation seeks to ensure that any decision to engage in a first-use nuclear attack is under strict Congressional oversight, reinforcing the principle of checks and balances inherent in the U.S. Constitution. By doing so, it aims to reduce the risk of an impulsive decision that could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Relevant Companies

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This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.

Actions

2 actions

Date	Action
Jan. 23, 2025	Introduced in House
Jan. 23, 2025	Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Corporate Lobbying

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Potentially Relevant Congressional Stock Trades

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H.R. 669: Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2025