Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, 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.
The Investing in Children Before Missiles Act would pause the Air Force's Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, which has experienced significant cost overruns and delays, ballooning from an estimated $78 billion to $141 billion. Instead of continuing with Sentinel, the bill would extend the operational life of the older Minuteman III missiles until at least 2050 and redirect all currently available federal funding for Sentinel development and associated warhead programs to the Department of Education for K-12 schools. The legislation prohibits spending any fiscal year 2026 funds on either Sentinel or warhead modification programs and requires the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an independent study within 180 days comparing the costs and strategic benefits of extending Minuteman III missiles versus deploying the new Sentinel system. The bill's sponsors argue that submarine-based nuclear forces provide sufficient deterrent capability, making expensive land-based ICBMs unnecessary and riskier due to their "launch on warning" posture, which increases the potential for accidental nuclear war.
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