Publication

Throughout the annual defense budget process of the US congress, important nuclear weapons policy measures related to new nuclear weapons development and testing were debated. This paper summarizes the outcome of the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Act provisions related to nuclear weapons policies and the Nuclear Posture Review, along with an analysis of the process and debate related to these measures along the way to the FY 2003 final Act. The author further offers an outlook on what the future may hold for these contested nuclear weapons issues.