A group of Democrat 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 plans.
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.
The lawmakers also urged reforms in the U.S. nuclear posture, including adoption of the 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 senators also 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.
