The President of the United States is authorized by the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 to have the broad power to unilaterally annihilate the human race through nuclear war. There is no current distinction between an aggressive or defensive use of nuclear weapons, and the President should have more checks on his or her power, to ensure that the human race is not terminated on a whim. 

This is a bipartisan issue of national security for all Americans. The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 should be amended to assert Congress's authority to prevent the accidental or impulsive use of nuclear weapons without provocation. Specifically, Congress should amend the act to require the assent of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy in the case of a 1st strike using nuclear weapons.