How Much Did the U.S. Spend on Nuclear Weapons in 2019?

According to a new report by the Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN, the U.S. spent $35.4 billion on nuclear weapons in 2019.  This figure includes $11.1 billion to the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy, and $24.3 billion to the Department of Defense. That amount equals spending $67,352 every minute of 2019 on nuclear weapons.  In this time of the global COVID-19 pandemic, some question whether these taxpayers’ dollars could fund the needed masks, gloves, personal protective equipment and other equipment for medical professionals and patients, as well as for essential workers across the country.  https://www.icanw.org/global_nuclear_weapons_spending_2020

The report, entitled, “Enough is Enough:  2019 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending,” carefully reviewed the nuclear weapons budgets of nine nuclear-armed countries.  They are:  China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.  In 2019, the nine countries spent $72.9 billion on the weapons.  Together, the countries possess more than 13,000 nuclear weapons and spent $138,699 every minute of 2019 on them.  This $72.9 billion represents an increase of $7.1 billion from 2018.

But these billions of dollars spent in the U.S. and the other nine nuclear-armed countries are not the total expenditures.  They pay for only the operating and development costs for nuclear warhead and nuclear-capable delivery systems. They do not include the cleanup, or remediation, of the environment contaminated by the operation, use, and development of nuclear weapons, nor do they include the health care and compensation needed by the unknowing and unwilling victims harmed by the production and use of nuclear weapons.

A 2011 Global Zero cost estimate stated that “unpaid/deferred environmental and health costs, missile [defenses] assigned to defend against nuclear weapons, nuclear threat reduction and incident management” would add 50 percent more dollars.  GZ Nuclear Weapons Cost Global Study 2011 If included, in 2019, the U.S. would have spent approximately $53 billion, or $101,000 a minute.

Alicia Sanders-Zakre, the Policy and Research Coordinator for the ICAN and the primary author of the report, said, “The billions spent on nuclear weapons in 2019 didn’t save lives – it was a waste of resources needed to address real security challenges, including pandemics and climate change.”

The report concludes with a question we all need to answer:  “Will citizens and leaders choose to continue to throw away $73 billion on nuclear weapons, or will they join the majority of the world’s countries in choosing to ban these weapons of mass destruction all together?”

1. Petition open for signatures: Demand Justice for Nuclear Frontline Communities in COVID-19 Stimulus at https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/demand-justice-for-nuclear-frontline-communities-in-covid-19-stimulus  Please share widely as we are gaining traction on this issue.  Thank you!

2. Tuesday, June 9^th from 5 to 7 pm – Midtown Santa Fe “Meet the Developer Series” continues. The topic has changed to Arts and Innovation.  The topic Housing and Affordability has been rescheduled to June 23^rd.   Residents may attend the meetings virtually at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPVlxk0l-IyxAVEPs2ig0w.  The chat function will be enabled for your questions and comments.  If you would like to submit a question(s) before the meeting, email info@midtowndistrictsantafe.com.  For more information, visit https://www.santafenm.gov/midtown_site

3. Thursday, June 18^th – New Mexico Legislature Special Session Begins. For more information, check out Retake Our Democracy’s recent * important * Zoominar “NM State Budget Crisis, a Moral Crossroads,” with advocates from Voices for Children and Rep. Javier Martinez, Chair of the House Tax & Revenue Committee.  The best quote from the Zoominar:  “We don’t have a budget problem, we have a revenue problem.”   https://retakeourdemocracy.org/the-nm-state-budget-crisis-an-opportunity-to-diversify-our-budget-or-shred-our-education-health-social-service-systems/

4. Wednesday, July 22^nd – comments due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about the proposed Holtec Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for high-level radioactive waste. For more information, check out Kendra Chamberlain’s article ‘Forever deadly:’  State officials, communities scramble to fight a proposal to house high-level nuclear waste in New Mexico at https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2020/06/04/forever-deadly-state-officials-communities-scramble-to-fight-a-proposal-to-house-high-level-nuclear-waste-in-new-mexico/?mc_cid=5e8ef7b710&mc_eid=4ed398ef0c   For sample public comments, visit www.beyondnuclear.org/centralized-storage/
5. Friday, July 31^st comments due to EPA about two LANL discharge permits.EPA extended the public comment periods for 60 more days for the Individual Stormwater Permit and Industrial Wastewater (outfalls) Permit.  A virtual public meeting on the Individual Stormwater Permit will be held in July.  https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/notices-search/location/New%20Mexico   Sample public comments will be available before the deadline.

Tags: Alicia Sanders-Zakre, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Enough is Enough: 2019 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending, global COVID-19 pandemic, Global Zero, health care, ICAN, ICAN Policy and Research Coordinator, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, National Nuclear Security Administration, remediation