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Congress, the Constitution, and First Use of Nuclear Weapons*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2009
Abstract
This article analyzes the constitutional problems involved in “first use” of nuclear weapons. Its organizing principle is that Congress has a constitutional duty to ensure such control over nuclear weapons that first use (and first strike) is proscribed. After demonstrating that the Constitution requires collective decision-making in important policy decisions, it is recommended that Congress retrieve its delegated power over nuclear weaponry, and also establish a “council of state” within the office of the presidency with which the president must consult before taking important decisions, including those involving nuclear warfare. The council would take a sober “first look” at proposed policies, but the ultimate responsibility would be the president's.
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- Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1986
References
Notes
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194 Since this article was written, Dr. Clifford Johnson has refiled his lawsuit: Johnson v. Weinberger, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 17 June 1986, and the following relevant articles have appeared: Banks, , “First Use of Nuclear Weapons: The Constitutional Role of a Congressional Leadership Committee,” Journal of Legislation, 13 (1986), 1Google Scholar; and Ides, , “Congressional Authority to Regulate the Use of Nuclear Weapons,” Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, 13 (1986), 33.Google Scholar