got news for the critics: there already IS a new arms race going.
During the "cold war" the principal nuclear armed opponents were the Soviet Union and the United States. We had detailed lists of nuke targets in the Soviet Union and we could assign our "assets" against the known threat. Today, nuclear weapons have proliferated all over the world. It it unlikely that we have the same level of detailed, comprehensive lists of nuclear weapons that could be directed at the U.S. Further, we probably don't have the inventory to do the necessary counter strikes. We need to refurbish the current inventory, update our intel on credible threats and add inventory as necessary.
I expect a nuclear weapon will be launched from a militant Islamic state or North Korea in the near future. The Russians and Chinese are enjoying too much prosperity from trade with the U.S. to kill the golden goose. The Islamic states simply hate us.