In my May Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists column I explore the history of post-Cold War GOP efforts to constrain Democratic presidents from making reductions to the size of the US nuclear arsenal and how such efforts harm US national security.
House Armed Services Committee Gone Wild — Again
Yesterday the House Armed Services Committee marked up the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. Head over to the mothership for our initial summary. If you thought last year’s version of the bill was bad, this year’s iteration includes a number of proposed funding proposals and policy provisions on nuclear weapons and missile defense that are even more extreme.
Click here, here, and here for our earlier previews of the bill.
The Politics of Reduction
by Kingston Reif Published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Online on May 10, 2012 Article summary below; read the full text online. One of the perks of being a Republican president in the United States is the freedom to make drastic changes to US nuclear posture while Democratic presidents are forced to travel a […]
“N. Korea Launches Rocket, Kills U.S. Deal” in Arms Control Today May 2012
-“U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies is said to have clearly reminded his North Korean counterpart, Kim Gye Gwan, of the meaning of this provision during February talks. Sources say, however, the young Kim Jong Un, the country’s new leader, was unable to defy his late father and predecessor’s command to complete the rocket launch, which was timed to mark the Kim Il Sung centennial and proclaim North Korea to be a ‘strong and prosperous nation.'”
NNSA Weapons and Nonpro Funding Charts
Below are some handy charts we put together outlining the Senate and House Appropriations Committee-FY 2013 approved funding levels for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation and Weapons Activities accounts. Cli…
