William D. Hartung, director of the New America Foundation’s Arms and Security Initiative, moderated a discussion between Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund, and Stephen I. Schwartz, editor of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies’ The Nonproliferation Review of the Monterey Institute for International Studies. They spoke about the cost of U.S. nuclear program and nuclear-related spending, and recommended modifications to the program and its budget that reflect a changing political climate and new nuclear attitudes.

Schwartz presented his recent study, Nuclear Security Spending: Assessing Costs, Examining Priorities (with Deepti Choubey, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, January 2009). He estimated that the U.S. nuclear program--including nuclear forces and operational support, deferred environmental and health costs, missile defense, nuclear threat reduction, and nuclear incidence management--cost the United States approximately $52.4 billion, at minimum, in FY2008. He argued that the nuclear budget should be far more transparent. Not only should more oversight be required to approve spending for the nuclear weapons program, but funding should be adjusted to emphasize the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear material, technology, and expertise.

Cirincione agreed with Schwartz. The economic crisis and a changing political climate should usher in budget accountability regarding nuclear spending. Beyond transparency, though, Cirincione suggested that the incoming Obama administration cut wasteful nuclear-related programs. For example, cutting the size of the nuclear arsenal in half and eliminating the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program would substantially lower nuclear-related costs, perhaps by more than $20 billion. While there will be a blowback from those who are financially, professionally, and ideologically invested in these programs, Cirincione argued that it is time to put a price tag on these programs. As Mr. Schwartz put it, “This is the start of a national conversation.”

-- Event Summary by Alexandra Kahan, Intern, American Strategy Program