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Ploughshares Blog: Nuclear Budget

Sinking the Navy with Excessive Nuclear Requirements
In tight budget times, the U.S. Navy cannot afford to waste funds on excessive capabilities for outdated Cold War weapons. Yet that is what some in Congress are attempting to do by blocking retirement of excess nuclear-armed submarines. As part of the Navy’s plan to replace its fleet nuclear-armed submarines, the Navy expects the number of subs in service to dip from 12 to 10 for much of the 2030s – a budget and strategy plan that the Navy believes is manageable. Read more »
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Posted by Ben Loehrke on May 14, 2012
Arms Control Association, budget, House, Navy, NDAA, Nuclear Budget, Spending, SSBN(X), Submarine, Submarines, United States Navy, Warheads
When Nuclear Spending Comes at the Expense of the Troops
Supporting the troops is an important value for many Americans. Unfortunately, both soldiers and veterans often get short shrift when it comes to actually allocating budgets. Read more »
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Posted by Margaret Swink on May 10, 2012
Board of Directors, CMRR, Got Your Six, House Armed Services Committee, Los Alamos, Michael Douglas, Military, Nuclear Budget, veterans
Ploughshares Fund Grantee Uncovers Poor Nuclear Management, Costing Taxpayers Millions
Upon filing of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Nuclear Watch New Mexico, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released Performance Evaluation Reports for its eight nuclear sites this week. The reports, which provide insight into management of the plants and also disclose funds awarded to contracting corporations, reveal some disturbing information about already unsettling projects. Read more »
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Posted by Megan Murphy on April 6, 2012
Los Alamos, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nuclear Budget
Our Oscar Pick: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
It might not have received a nomination for Best Picture, but ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ is our stand out film this Oscar season. Its on-point depiction of tension between the United States and Soviet Union during the height on the Cold War, not to mention the brilliant acting of Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman, make this spy thriller more than just an entertaining two hours of cinema. It’s a telling portrayal that makes reference to a problem that’s spanned decades – wasteful spending on nuclear weapons. Read more »
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Posted by Megan Murphy on February 24, 2012
Arms Control Association, budget, Ed Markey, Entertainment, Michael Douglas, Navy, Nuclear Budget, Pentagon, Russia, Soviet Union
The President's Nuclear Options
Last week, hopeful news of potential cuts to the U.S. nuclear arsenal floated through Washington. A classified report from the Pentagon is being prepared for President Obama’s review, which has been reported to provide three ranges for possible nuclear reductions: 1,100 to 1,000, 800 to 700, or 400 to 300. Read more »
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Posted by Rebecca Remy on February 23, 2012
Nuclear Budget, Nuclear Policy Guidance, Nuclear Weapons, President Obama, Military Strategy
When the Nuclear Budget Binge Ended
Washington is slowly moving toward tightening budgets and being smarter with its security dollars. The President’s budget request, released yesterday, showed that spending smarter means trimming excessive spending on Cold War-era nuclear weapons systems. Read more »
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Posted by Ben Loehrke on February 14, 2012
budget, CMRR, cuts, Debt, Nuclear Budget, Policy Guidance, President Obama, SSBNX, Triad
SANE Act Calls for Cuts to Nuclear Budget
After months of work on the campaign to slash the nuclear weapons budget, the concept is firmly taking hold in Congress. Read more »
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Posted by Megan Murphy on February 9, 2012
budget, CMRR, Congress, Ed Markey, Los Alamos, Nuclear Budget, SANE Act
Obama's Turn on Nuclear Weapons
When U.S. President Barack Obama took to the podium during a rare visit to the Pentagon early last month, he announced a new strategy for the country's military posture abroad. The United States would shift from being able to fight two major wars simultaneously to increasing its focus on Asia. But the president also explained that reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal would be key to future defense: "We will continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems," he said, "so that we can invest in the capabilities we need for the future." Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on February 2, 2012
Department of Defense, Joe Cirincione, new start, Nuclear Budget, Nuclear Policy Guidance, Obama
New Strategy Recognizes Nuclear Realities
Today, standing with his top military officials, President Obama rolled out new guidance that realigns the Pentagon toward today’s strategic realities. It might not seem like it from the report’s stoic language, but this is part of a set of once-in-a-generation decisions that could reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Read more »
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Posted by Ben Loehrke on January 5, 2012
modernization, Barack Obama, Guidance, Leon Panetta, Nuclear Budget, Nuclear Posture, Nuclear Weapons, Pentagon, strategy
What Nuclear Weapons Cost Us – It’s the Right Time for a Debate
The debate over the extent to which the U.S. government is committing itself to spending vast sums of taxpayer dollars on nuclear weapons and related programs over the next decade is in full force in Congress, inside the administration, and in the media. Read more »
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Posted by Joel Rubin on December 20, 2011
nonproliferation, Cold War, Congressional Budget Office, Nuclear Budget, Nuclear Budget Debate, Nuclear Triad