Strategic Forces Subcommittee, House Armed Services Committee

Under the House Armed Services Committee, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee oversees nuclear and strategic forces, strategic arms control, ballistic missile defense; related intelligence programs, space programs, information warfare programs; and the United States Strategic Command and U.S. Department of Energy defense-related nuclear and environmental programs. Rep. James Langevin is its chair and Michael Turner its ranking minority member.

Military applications of space

The subcommittee also is concerned with the industrial base supporting these areas, which involves balancing the commercial business that keeps aerospace firms healthy, and protecting sensitive technology. According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. dominated the global satellite export market at over 70% of worldwide share in 1995. Three years later, Congress passed a law that moved put export controls over commercial communications satellites to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) regime. Contract awards for commercial communications satellite manufacturing dropped over 20% by 2000, and by 2005 the U.S.’s worldwide share of the global satellite export market stood at a mere 25%

In June 2009, the House passed a bill relaxing these controls, with the direct support of President Barack Obama and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International security Ellen Tauscher, formerly subcommittee chair.