Advocacy Coordinator Monica Montgomery wrote an op-ed in Inkstick breaking down three major insights that we have into Congress’ latest thinking on nuclear weapons from the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
“When President Joe Biden took office with Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress one year ago, proponents of nuclear arms control and more disciplined Pentagon spending expected that this year’s defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA), would make real progress on issues that Biden has championed throughout his life.
Instead, the final product of the new Democratic majority rubber-stamped nearly every single existing nuclear weapons policy, to the tune of more than $43 billion for nuclear weapons programs, and in some cases increased costs to the taxpayers without having had a full debate in both chambers of Congress.
This is unacceptable.
There needs to be a robust debate in Congress about how to maintain and modernize our nuclear deterrent while eliminating waste and minimizing the chance that a nuclear weapon is ever used again. To do this, Congress would be well served by fighting for fiscal responsibility inside of the Pentagon, ending the push to create a new generation of more “usable” nuclear weapons, and exercising oversight that pushes for basic cost-saving measures and alternatives to the nuclear triad.” Read more
