Garamendi Releases Statement on Sentinel Program Cost Overrun Review

WASHINGTON, DC— Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08) issued the following statement on the result of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Nunn-McCurdy review of its Sentinel program:

“Today, I met with DOD and Air Force officials to discuss the outcome of the Sentinel/Minuteman III program’s critical Nunn-McCurdy breach that halted the program because of an extraordinary cost escalation. I commend the transparency and accountability demonstrated in addressing some of the flawed assumptions and programmatic issues that have plagued the program for years. However, I am deeply disappointed by the decision to continue this wasteful and unnecessary endeavor.  

“As the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness with over a decade of experience overseeing U.S. military policy in Congress, I have worked on this issue at length and engaged with key personnel responsible for executing U.S. nuclear policy. For years, I have been an outspoken critic of this program, consistently raising concerns about the misuse of taxpayer dollars and its failure to effectively address our national security needs.  

“The Air Force faces a challenging road ahead as they work to restructure the program and address fundamental questions. I will continue pressuring the DOD to carefully consider the best use of taxpayer dollars to provide for our national security. This process did not answer any fundamental questions about how we can deter adversaries or whether it is necessary to maintain the land-based leg of the nuclear triad at its current levels. While the Nunn-McCurdy process did not address this critical issue, moving forward, it is imperative that the DOD and White House reevaluate our nuclear posture and confront these difficult questions. 

“In Congress, I will continue to advocate for rigorous oversight. In 2020, the DOD stated the program would cost $77.7 billion to acquire. Just four years later, those costs have nearly doubled to over $140 billion, and costs could continue to skyrocket. These numbers do not include the billions being spent on nuclear bomb production in the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration or the billions more that will be required for sustainment and operations of these missiles. This is unacceptable. Even worse, the DOD’s Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) has indicated that they only have a ‘50% confidence level’ in this cost estimate. Congress must take decisive action and enforce rigorous oversight of our out-of-control nuclear enterprise, which is expected to cost the American taxpayer at least $1.2 trillion over the next 30 years.”  

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