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Dozens of House Democrats Request Biden Hand Over Nuclear Codes

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Roughly three dozen House Democrats have asked President Joe Biden to make an unprecedented move for the United States’ national security.

The letter from legislators obtained by Politico reportedly asked for the procedure surrounding access to nuclear codes and launching a nuclear attack on another country.

A suggested alternative to having only the president give permission to launch a nuclear attack is to have both the vice president and speaker of the House agree with a launch order from the president, Fox News reported.

“Vesting one person with this authority entails real risks,” the letter spearheaded by California Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta said.

“Past presidents have threatened to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior that caused other officials to express concern about the president’s judgment.”

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“While any president would presumably consult with advisors before ordering a nuclear attack, there is no requirement to do so. The military is obligated to carry out the order if they assess it is legal under the laws of war. Under the current posture of U.S. nuclear forces, that attack would happen in minutes,” the letter continued.

Panetta doubled down on his and other House Democrats’ suggestion in a tweet Tuesday, affirming there needs to be “checks and balances.”

“I’m calling on @POTUS to install checks & balances in our nuclear command-and-control structure. Past presidents have threatened nuclear attacks on other countries or exhibited concerning behavior that cast doubt on their judgment,” he said.

Democrats frequently raised concerns in the past about former President Donald Trump’s ability to launch a nuclear weapon, fearing he would be reckless with his power.

Obviously, a nuclear apocalypse started by Trump did not happen, but it is somewhat surprising that some House Democrats would want this change made under Biden.

Should only the president have the nuclear codes?
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“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” Trump tweeted in 2018 while tensions were mounting with the Asian country.

While Biden does not use Twitter to poke at nations the way Trump did, House Democrats doing this now shows they might have some concerns about Biden having the nuclear button all to himself.

The nuclear football goes with the president everywhere, even on Air Force One, making it one of the most consequential “perks” of being the commander in chief.

There has never been a nuclear attack launched using the codes, though the United States did come close to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis under former President John F. Kennedy.


Checks and balances to the process might do some good for the future of the United States, but questions should remain about the timing of the letter.

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Cameron Arcand is a former writer for The Western Journal.
Cameron Arcand is a political commentator based in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2017 as a school project, he founded YoungNotStupid.com, which has grown exponentially since its founding. He has interviewed several notable conservative figures, including Dave Rubin, Peggy Grande and Madison Cawthorn.

In September 2020, Cameron joined The Western Journal as a Commentary Writer, where he has written articles on topics ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Recall Gavin Newsom" effort and the 2020 election aftermath. The "Young Not Stupid" column launched at The Western Journal in January 2021, making Cameron one of the youngest columnists for a national news outlet in the United States. He has appeared on One America News and Fox 5 DC. He has been a Young America's Foundation member since 2019.
Location
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