John Isaacs and Guy Stevens / Council for a Livable World & Robert Dreyfuss / The Diplomat – 2011-11-17 10:47:29

http://www.capwiz.com/clw/issues/alert/?alertid=56606506&type=CO

(November 15, 2011) — Over the next two weeks, the Senate is scheduled to debate and vote on amendments to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. This legislation sets funding levels for critical programs to keep dangerous nuclear and radiological materials out of the hands of terrorists and reduce the global threat posed by nuclear proliferation.

Please urge your senators to oppose any amendments to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill that would cut funding for programs that keep our nation safe from the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has fully funded the President’s budget request for vital nuclear terrorism prevention and nonproliferation activities. Unfortunately, the House has already made reckless cuts to these programs, so it’s critical that the Senate restores funding to levels to keep America on pace to lock down and eliminate nuclear materials around the world.

Senators who desire to spend more money on the nuclear weapons establishment may offer an amendment to move money from preventing nuclear terrorism to funding the nuclear arsenal.

Failure to approve full funding for anti-terrorism programs would result in delays in converting dozens of reactors around the world from using bomb-grade highly enriched uranium to using low enriched uranium, compromise our ability to protect and eliminate radioactive materials at universities and hospitals that could be used in a dirty bomb, and hold up efforts to remove dangerous highly enriched uranium from sites around the globe.

Thanks to overwhelming bipartisan support, nuclear material security and nonproliferation activities have received strong support over the last decade. Yet in the past year, these programs have been subject to unprecedented reductions in the Republican zeal to slash all budgets.
Urge your Senator to support FULL funding for nuclear terrorism prevention and nuclear nonproliferation programs!

Thank you for all of your hard work and support!