Republican Lawmaker Pushes Bill to Revise Pentagon Critical Asset List for Golden Dome Defense

On Oct. 6, Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) filed a bill in the House of Representatives that would compel the Department of Defense to refresh the Pentagon’s Critical Asset List, incorporating all facilities and systems vital to the Golden Dome missile-defense shield. The proposal mandates inclusion of space-based sensors, interceptors, associated ground control stations, ground-based missile-defense sites and key command-and-control networks, and requires a new Defended Asset List that prioritises protection based on strategic value, susceptibility to attack and available defenses.

Lawmakers argue that advances by China and Russia in long-range cruise and hypersonic missiles pose a serious threat to U.S. territory and critical infrastructure. The bill also points to a September 2025 military parade in Beijing attended by Kim Jong-un alongside Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as evidence of growing security coordination among adversaries. The measure was sent to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration.