Non-Proliferation

The Kremlin is open to a one-year extension of the New START nuclear arms control treaty, but not on the terms the White House has proposed, according to a widely translated Russian-language statement from Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. “I have a proposal, namely: to extend the existing Treaty without any conditions for at least […]

The Donald Trump administration’s lead nuclear negotiator on Tuesday called on the arms control community to publicly back the White House’s drive to condition an indeterminate extension of the New START treaty with Russia on a verifiable freeze in deployment of all nuclear warheads, even those not covered by the bilateral agreement. “I think it’s […]

After weeks of reporting that Washington and Moscow might be close to a follow-on deal to or an extension of the landmark New START treaty, President Donald Trump’s lead arms-control negotiator is scheduled for a public talk today about China’s nuclear arsenal. Unless the Trump administration and Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, agree to extend […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is consulting with Norway on a study about whether the nordic nation can downblend its own stock of highly enriched uranium and thorium, U.S. and Norwegian officials announced this week. In 2020, the semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency expects to spend only about $50,000 on the effort, which […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is consulting with Norway on a study about whether the nordic nation can downblend its own stock of highly enriched uranium and thorium, U.S. and Norwegian officials announced this week. In 2020, the semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency expects to spend only about $50,000 on the effort, which […]

Fresh from his primary victory over Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) led a big chunk of the Senate’s Democratic caucus, including the minority leader, in calling on conferees to maintain a prohibition against nuclear-explosive testing in the final version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. “A U.S. nuclear weapons testing restart […]

Fresh from his primary victory over Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) led a big chunk of the Senate’s Democratic caucus, including the minority leader, in calling on conferees to maintain a prohibition against nuclear-explosive testing in the final version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. “A U.S. nuclear weapons testing restart […]

China has more than 200 nuclear warheads and about enough fissile material on hand to make at least that many more, according to a report published Tuesday by the Department of Defense. Doubling that stockpile is exactly what Beijing is likely to do over the next 10 years, the Pentagon stated in the 2020 version […]

China has more than 200 nuclear warheads and about enough fissile material on hand to make at least that many more, according to a report published Tuesday by the Department of Defense. Doubling that stockpile is exactly what Beijing is likely to do over the next 10 years, the Pentagon stated in the 2020 version […]

If the New START nuclear arms-limitation treaty expires in February, and the United States decides to boost its deployed nuclear weapons, the Department of Energy could face billions of dollars in one-time and recurring costs, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday. While the study, “The Potential Costs of Expanding U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces If the New […]

The downtown Seattle building contaminated with cesium-137 after what the Department of Energy called a “preventable” quality control lapse by a radiological source-removal contractor should reopen in about a year, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) top nonproliferation official said Thursday.  “We are hopeful the University of Washington could reoccupy the building within a matter […]

Democrats do not explicitly endorse a no-first use policy for nuclear weapons, according to the official 2020 platform that crystalizes their pitch to voters ahead of the November presidential election, but they come about as close as they could. The party platform says Democrats “believe that the sole purpose of our nuclear arsenal should be […]

A new cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office on the potential cost of a U.S. nuclear-arms buildup shows the New START treaty should be renewed, according to two senior Senate Democrats. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that withdrawing from the last remaining U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty could lead the federal government to spend […]

If the New START nuclear arms-limitation treaty expires in February, and the United States decides to boost its deployed nuclear weapons, the Department of Energy could face billions of dollars in one-time and recurring costs, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday. While the study, “The Potential Costs of Expanding U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces If the […]

Democrats do not explicitly endorse a no-first use policy for nuclear weapons, according to a leaked draft of the 2020 platform that crystalizes their pitch to voters ahead of the November presidential election, but they come about as close as they could. The draft party platform says Democrats “believe that the sole purpose of our […]

Marshall Billingslea may yet officially become the State Department’s top arms-control official, after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday recommended his nomination for a floor vote. The 11-10 vote was split along party lines, with Democrats uniformly opposing Billingslea’s nomination as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security and Republicans almost unanimously […]

Marshall Billingslea may yet officially become the State Department’s top arms-control official, after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday recommended his nomination for a floor vote. The 11-10 vote was split along party lines, with Democrats uniformly opposing Billingslea’s nomination as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security and Republicans almost unanimously […]

Bruce Blair, the missileer turned nonproliferation scholar and activist, died Sunday following a sudden illness, Global Zero, the advocacy organization he co-founded in 2007, announced Monday. The Global Zero statement did not specify the cause of death, nor identify any survivors for Blair — a prolific writer and advocate for nuclear arms-minimization who often warned about the […]

Marshall Billingslea’s bid to become the Trump Administration’s top nuclear arms negotiator may not have been knocked off easy street yet, but it certainly encountered some potholes in his confirmation hearing this week, when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat said the nominee is stained by his support of torture and generally unfit for […]

Marshall Billingslea’s bid to become the Trump Administration’s top nuclear arms negotiator may not have been knocked off easy street yet, but it certainly encountered some potholes in his confirmation hearing Tuesday, where the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat said the nominee is stained by his support of torture and is generally unfit for […]

Bruce Blair, the missileer turned nonproliferation scholar and activist, died Sunday following a sudden illness, Global Zero, the advocacy organization he co-founded in 2007, announced Monday.  The Global Zero statement did not specify the cause of death, nor identify any survivors for Blair — a prolific writer and advocate for nuclear arms-minimization who often warned […]

Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) said Tuesday she wants the next Department of Energy budget bill to prohibit spending that contributes in any way to nuclear-explosive tests. Titus made the request during the House Appropriations Committee’s annual member day hearing, which gives congresspeople a few minutes to publicly discuss measures they want in the various spending bills […]

As he attempts to fend off a primary challenge from a young congressman, Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has belted out a salvo of arms control legislation, including a new bill last week that would make it U.S. policy to extend the New START nuclear treaty with Russia. Markey filed the Hastening Arms Limitation Talks (HALT) […]

Five Democratic lawmakers, led by the chairs of House committees that control nuclear weapons budgets and policy, on Monday demanded that the Department of Energy and the Pentagon explain recently reported discussions about resuming nuclear explosive tests. The powerful House committee leaders want written answers to six questions by June 22 and a briefing from […]

A new federal strategy for advancing the United States’ nuclear energy industry will pay dividends in promoting global nonproliferation, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said on May 29. “Our nation’s credibility as a supporter of nonproliferation depends upon a robust civilian industry and our technological leadership in the global marketplace,” he said during a webinar […]

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week announced legislation that would require President Donald Trump to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia. The measure, which would need a veto-proof majority to become law, would require Trump to extend New START into February 2026 unless […]

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would require President Donald Trump to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia. The measure, which would need a veto-proof majority to become law, would require Trump to extend New START unless Russia “is not […]

A new federal strategy for strengthening the United States’ nuclear energy industry will pay dividends in promoting global nonproliferation, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said Friday. “Our nation’s credibility as a supporter of nonproliferation depends upon a robust civilian industry and our technological leadership in the global marketplace,” he said during a webinar organized by […]

The Department of Energy, the manager of its Los Alamos National Laboratory, and an on-site contractor all shoulder some blame for a May 2019 incident that contaminated a University of Washington building in Seattle with cesium-137, according to a recent report. The “preventable” event during a radiological source recovery operation resulted from “weak and partially […]

Marshall Billingslea, President Donald Trump’s new point man on arms control, warned Thursday that Congress would undercut arms control negotiations with Russia and China by slowing progress on the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. “Congress has strongly supported the modernization of our deterrent,” Billingslea, the State Department’s special presidential envoy for arms control, said […]