| SpicaBooks.Com/Nuke_Law.html US Law & Nuclear Material | ||
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04 Sep 2003 post from Susan Dayton SENATE TO VOTE ON NUCLEAR WEAPONSSupport cuts to nuclear bunker buster, test readiness and the Modern Pit Facility IN BRIEF: The Senate will vote on at least one amendment to the Energy & Water appropriations bill in mid-late September. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) intends to offer an amendment to cut funding for the nuclear bunker buster and advanced concepts and place restrictions on the funding for enhanced test readiness and the Modern Pit Facility. ACTION: Please contact
your Senators and urge them to support the Feinstein amendment and other amendments
cutting new nuclear weapons programs. Specifically, we urge you to: BACKGROUND: In a remarkable move, the U.S. House of Representatives cut funding for the nuclear bunker buster, advanced concepts, enhanced test readiness and the Modern Pit Facility, part of a package of $262 million in cuts to the nuclear weapons activities budget in the Fiscal Year 2004 Energy & Water Appropriations bill. The Republican House is pushing a go-slow approach as the Administration has failed to issue stockpile requirements for the past two years. The House report states, "The National Nuclear Security Administration has not been able to reconcile the recently announced dramatic reductions planned for deployed operational nuclear warheads to its strategic weapons modernization plans, some of which will cost billions of dollars each, and which are currently structured to upgrade the maximum number of warheads.
. . . Because the results of the stockpile review will not be provided to Congress in time to justify the fiscal year 2004 budget request, the Committee has to view the significant budget growth proposed for the current program with skepticism." The Senate Appropriations Committee did not make equivalent cuts. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is expected to offer an amendment on the floor after recess that mirrors some of the key cuts made in the House. Sen. Feinstein's amendment will cut the $15 million for the nuclear bunker buster (Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator) and the $6 million for Advanced Concepts, funds that could be used for research into low-yield nuclear weapons and other new designs. The amendment will grant the administration's request for enhanced test readiness, but funds would be barred from being used to actually enhance readiness at the test site; instead funds would be used for standard upkeep of the test site. The amendment will also grant the administration's request for the Modern Pit Facility, but the Department of Energy would be prohibited from selecting a site for the Modern Pit Facility, effectively slowing down the program. Other Senators are considering similar amendments. TALKING POINTS: Below are talking points on each of the key issues before the Senate. Additional talking points and related information can be found by going to the ANA website via the links following each set of talking points or directly at www.ananuclear.org. NUCLEAR BUNKER BUSTERS
(Advanced Concepts and Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator) | ||
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More on the Nuclear Bunker Buster MODERN PIT FACILITY *
The United States already has enough plutonium pits, with over 10,000 intact warheads
and another 5,000-12,000 pits in reserve. Instead of building new pits, the United
States should work with Russia to advance the schedule of reductions under the
Moscow Treaty (limiting deployed weapons to around 2,000 per country) and dismantle
non-deployed warheads to avoid massive stockpiles of warehoused weapons vulnerable
to theft and terrorist use. | ||
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More on the Modern Pit Facility ENHANCED TEST READINESS *
The United States has conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests, allowing it to develop
both an enormous, sophisticated nuclear arsenal and an unparalleled knowledge
base. Resuming testing would lead other countries to test, eroding the U.S. advantage.
The proliferation of more sophisticated arsenals in China, India and Pakistan
or other countries would damage U.S. security. | ||
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More on Test Readiness SAMPLE PHONE RAP: Hello. I'm a constituent of Senator [NAME] and I'm calling to ask the Senator to support Senator Feinstein's amendment to the Energy & Water bill to cut funding for new nuclear weapons programs. I am strongly opposed to a nuclear bunker buster that could kill thousands of innocent civilians and tempt other nations to view nuclear weapons as usable. I'm also opposed to US plans to build a new nuclear bomb plant. We don't need it and it sends the wrong message as we work to curb other nations' nuclear programs. I also oppose enhancing the readiness to test nuclear weapons as tests are not needed to establish the safety and reliability of the arsenal. Please urge the Senator to vote for the Feinstein amendment. Thank you. Good bye. | ||
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SAMPLE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR In a surprise move, the U.S. House of Representatives cut the nuclear weapons budget this year, including most of the funding for the nuclear bunker buster, enhancing readiness to test nuclear weapons and the Modern Pit Facility, a proposal for a new bomb plant that would build plutonium pits, the cores to modern nuclear weapons. The House had good reason to cut the budget. For two years now the Administration has failed to provide details regarding future requirements for the stockpile given the drastic reductions anticipated as a result of the Moscow Treaty ratified earlier this year. Now Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is planning to offer an amendment to mirror many of the cuts made by the House when the Senate picks up the Energy & Water bill in September. The last thing we need are "usable" nuclear weapons, such as the nuclear bunker buster and just last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell declared there is no need to test. With over 10,000 weapons in the arsenal and anticipated reductions under the Moscow Treaty, we don't need to waste billions on a Modern Pit Facility. I hope Senators [NAMES of YOUR SENATORS] see the light vote for the Feinstein amendment. Sincerely, [NAME] | ||
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Jim
Bridgman, Program Director | ||
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Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. - H.G. Wells You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. - Malcolm X (1925 - 1965) | ||
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Jay
Coghlan, Director | ||
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