The Bush Administration's Nuclear Weapons Plans: A Critical Assessment 4/29/2004
From: Gabrielle Kohlmeier of the Arms Control Association, 202-463-8270 ext. 111 News Advisory: WHAT: Arms Control Association press conference WHEN: Tuesday, May 4, 2004 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. WHERE: The Brookings Institution (Stein Room), 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW Contact Gabrielle Kohlmeier at 202-463-8270 ext. 111 to RSVP or for more information Next week, key congressional committees will begin acting on costly and controversial nuclear weapons initiatives in the Bush administration's fiscal year 2005 budget request. The administration proposes spending $9 million to investigate new nuclear weapons concepts, including low-yield warheads; $27 million to continue research on modified warheads to destroy deeply buried targets; and nearly $30 million for a new nuclear bomb-making facility. Future plans envision billions more. The administration's misguided justification for this spending is to maintain and upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal in ways to convince potential adversaries that the United States has credible options and is prepared to use nuclear weapons. At a time when the United States is working to persuade others to forswear nuclear weapons, the administration's proposals send the wrong message that nuclear weapons have military utility and that they help guarantee security. It is up to Congress to steer U.S. nuclear weapons policy in a more sensible direction. Panelists -- John Spratt (D-S.C.), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Assistant to the Democratic Leader. -- Charles V. Pena, Director of Defense Policy Studies, Cato Institute. Author of "Mini-Nukes and Preemptive Policy: A Dangerous Combination," Nov. 19, 2003. -- Frank N. von Hippel, Professor of Public and International Affairs and Co-Director, Program on Science and Global Security at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. Co-Author of "Does the United States Need a New Plutonium-Pit Facility?" Arms Control Today, May 2004. (Copies of the article will be available at the event.) -- Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. ------ The Arms Control Association is an independent, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies. |