Reshaping Nuclear Weapons Policy
Young people are inheriting a Cold War nuclear legacy that includes a bloated defense budget, a dangerous force posture, and thousands of superfluous warheads. The nuclear security environment has dramatically shifted since the end of the Cold War, but US policy has largely remained the same. It is time to reevaluate long-standing assumptions about the nature of deterrence that underpin current policy, and address the myriad ways in which these weapons make the world less safe, including the adverse environmental and humanitarian effects of their production.
The United States maintains one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. For as long as these weapons exist, their sole purpose should be to deter nuclear attacks on the United States and its allies. Current US nuclear policy––which is postured for nuclear warfighting––does not reflect this limited objective. Over the next decade, the United States will spend nearly $100,000 per minute on its nuclear forces––that’s a tremendous amount of money that could otherwise be spent on priorities like infrastructure, health care, education, and fighting climate change. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is walking away from arms control agreements, exchanging dangerous nuclear threats with world leaders, and dramatically expanding the role of nuclear weapons in US military doctrine. These policies will drag the world deeper into a renewed and dangerous global arms race.
The United States should:
Cancel all plans to build and deploy new nuclear weapons.
Vow never to use nuclear weapons first––a position overwhelmingly supported by American Democrats.
Attempt to reconstruct and extend valuable arms control agreements like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, New START, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal).
Work with other nuclear-weapon states to develop new agreements to reduce global arsenals and limit the chances that nuclear weapons are ever used again.
Pledge to not test nuclear weapons in the future.
Take steps to adopt a minimum deterrence nuclear posture, akin to that of the United Kingdom. This would entail reducing bomber and submarine forces, and decommissioning the obsolete intercontinental ballistic missile force.
Provide environmental remediation and humanitarian assistance to frontline communities harmed by nuclear testing, both domestically and abroad.
Leverage the technical expertise of its weapons manufacturers to promote disarmament, placing an emphasis on warhead dismantlement and verification, rather than on production.