A group of Democratic Party senators on Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to take several steps in the final months of his presidency to reduce the risk of inadvertent nuclear war and to limit nuclear weapons spending.
The letter was signed by Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Al Franken (Minn.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.).
It encouraged Obama “to take bold action” before leaving office to scale back nuclear modernization plans, adopt a no-first-use policy, and cancel launch-on-warning authorization.
The senators specifically called on the administration to roll back “unneeded” updates to nuclear weapons and delivery systems, including canceling the new Long-Range Standoff nuclear cruise missile, a program expected to cost at least $20 billion. They also urged reforms in the U.S. nuclear posture, including adoption of a policy on no-first-use of nuclear weapons. Current U.S. nuclear policy, which does not rule out first use, spurs other nuclear states to remain on high alert, “increasing the risk of unintended nuclear war,” the letter said.
The lawmakers said they opposed current U.S. policy that would allow for nuclear weapons launch in response to a warning of nuclear attack. “This policy undermines the president’s ability to carefully deliberate in a crisis,” they wrote.
Robert Scher, assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, said during a House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing last week that no official discussions on changing the no-first-use policy are occurring today. “There has been no decision within the administration to change the no-first-use policy,” he said.
Last week, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and 13 other senators from both parties sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter calling for him to reaffirm the Pentagon’s commitment to nuclear modernization.
“We are grateful for your past support in the effort to modernize the triad, and we hope you can reassure us of the Department’s support for the ongoing modernization agenda,” the letter said. The signatories were Hoeven and Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), David Vitter (R-La.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
The Defense Department’s nuclear modernization program involves all three legs of the nuclear triad and includes replacement of the Ohio class nuclear submarine fleet, procurement of the Long Range Strike Bomber, a Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent to replace Minuteman III ICBMs, and a new Long-Range Standoff nuclear cruise missile.
Defense officials have said modernizing the nuclear enterprise would cost approximately $1 trillion over 30 years, with costs peaking in the mid-2020s.
National Security Council spokesman Myles Caggins highlighted Wednesday by email the Obama administration’s initiatives toward a nuclear-weapon-free world, including “reducing our deployed stockpiles and launchers through New START, diminishing the role of nuclear weapons in our security strategy, and securing the Iran deal to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
“Moreover, we are always looking for additional ways to achieve progress on the President’s path forward while maintaining a credible deterrent for the United States, our allies, and partners,” Caggins said. “As we have said, we will continue to review our planned modernization program, assess whether there are additional steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our security strategy, and pursue ways to strengthen the global non-proliferation regime further.”
Giselle Barry, spokeswoman for Markey, said Thursday by email: “President Obama’s final months in office provide him with an historic opportunity to dismantle the radioactive relics of our Cold War past, and to strengthen our national security by reducing the risk of nuclear war. Senator Markey is optimistic the president will seize that opportunity.”
