Friends Committee on National Legislation – 2005-03-31 23:02:06
http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear/index.htm
Legislative Action Message
The Bush administration this year is reviving its proposal for a new generation of “usable” nuclear weapons, often described as “bunker busters.” Your actions and the efforts of thousands of others helped support efforts by Rep. David Hobson (OH) to eliminate funding for these weapons in 2004. Now we need to mobilize again to slam the door shut on these new nuclear weapons before the administration proposal gains momentum.
Background
In 2004, FCNL asked for your help in urging Congress to oppose new nuclear weapons. Your actions, and the leadership of Rep. David Hobson, resulted in Congress eliminating the money for new nuclear weapons in the final appropriations bill.
The Bush administration has renewed its effort to develop a “bunker busting” nuclear bomb that would penetrate the ground before exploding in order to destroy underground targets. The Energy Department budget request includes $4 million to develop this new nuclear bomb, also known as the “Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator.” Read FCNL’s fact sheet on these weapons at http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=801&issue_id=48.
The administration is also asking for $4.5 million in the Air Force budget for non-nuclear tests that would evaluate the bunker buster’s ability to penetrate into the earth before exploding.
While the amount requested is small relative to the overall military budget, spending any funds on the bunker buster keeps alive a program that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars once it moves from research to production. In addition to the cost to the taxpayer, the program undermines US efforts to convince other countries not to develop nuclear weapons.
The administration is also asking for $9 million for a second nuclear weapons program: the “Reliable Replacement Warhead.” This program, if continued beyond the planning stage, would also result in hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to replace current warheads and could lead to the resumption of nuclear testing.
Act Now!
Contact your representatives today. Urge them to call for the elimination of all funding for the bunker buster weapons from the defense authorization bill and the energy and water appropriations bill that Congress is now drafting.
Also, thank Congress for eliminating funding for the bunker buster weapons last year. Tell your representatives that new nuclear weapons will not make the world more secure.
Developing new nuclear weapons sends a message to the rest of the world that nuclear weapons are usable. This undermines US security.
Contacting your members of Congress is easy. You can email or fax your member of Congress for free by going to FCNL’s website at http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=7330336&type=CO. Once there, you will also find talking points to help you write your letter. It is best to put your message in your own words, since congressional staff often ignore “form letters.”
Because this issue is so urgent, please pass this message on to your family and friends!
Your efforts and the efforts of thousands of others to successfully eliminate funds for the bunker buster in 2004 shows that the public does not support these weapons. Now we need to mobilize again to slam the door shut on new nuclear weapons.
RESOURCES
• Join the campaign to Stop New Nuclear Weapons, http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear/index.htm
• Contact Congress and the Administration: http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/.
• Order FCNL publications and “War is Not the Answer” campaign bumper stickers and yard signs:
http://www.fcnl.org/newinfo/special_pub.htm
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq-war.htm
• Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists:
http://www.fcnl.org/listserv/quaker_issues.php.
Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org/
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
