Ted Lieu Pushes for Hearing On Nuclear Weapons

On Friday, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) sent a letter to House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), calling for a hearing on the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. “A nuclear first strike, which can kill hundreds of millions of people and invite a retaliatory strike that can cripple America, is war. Yet under existing law, the president has unilateral authority to launch a nuclear attack,” Lieu writes. “The president’s remarks over the past year have raised bipartisan concern in Congress and among our community of national security experts.” Last year, Lieu reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to underscore Congress’ role in deciding to launch a nuclear first strike, which is an act of war that only Congress can authorize. A hearing would provide the opportunity to debate this issue, particularly in light of Donald Trump’s statements about using that authority. See the full text of the letter here.