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+--- Thread: Democrats want Biden to give up sole nuclear weapon authority (/thread-9851.html)
Democrats want Biden to give up sole nuclear weapon authority - Syne - Feb 25, 2021
House Democrats ask Biden to give up sole power to launch nuclear bomb
Over thirty House Democrats are asking President Biden to consider renouncing his authority to launch nuclear weapons.
In a letter sent Tuesday but publicized Wednesday, 31 lawmakers led by Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) urge the commander in chief to “consider modifying the decision-making process the United States uses in its command and control of nuclear forces.”
...
“However, vesting one person with this authority entails real risks,” Panetta and Lieu continued.
Of course the letter cites Trump's saber rattling with North Korea, but it also cites Nixon:
As Members of Congress who served in the military, we are writing to request that you and your combatant commanders consider ways to provide a check and balance on the President’s nuclear strike authority in the final days of his presidency. There is precedent for such action. In August 1974, as President Richard Nixon prepared to leave office, then-Defense Secretary James Schlesinger issued orders requiring that military commanders check with either him or then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger before executing any nuclear launch order by the President.
https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-panetta-and-california-colleagues-who-served-military-call
So if you're citing Nixon, why didn't Democrats ask Clinton or Obama to give up sole discretion on nuclear launches?
Of course that's rhetorical. We all know it's because Biden is literally senile...and the Democrats know and are hereby publicly recognizing that fact.
RE: Democrats want Biden to give up sole nuclear weapon authority - Zinjanthropos - Feb 25, 2021
I would think that a good idea. Joe might think he's hitting the 'order lunch' button.
"Who's hungry? Let's get some food up here"
"Mr. President, that's the Order Launch button".
"Does it do both?"