Alliance for Nuclear Accountability – 2012-12-02 02:39:51
http://www.ananuclear.org/
(November 28, 2012) — The Republican controlled House Armed Services Committee included some really terrible things in their National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this year. This week, the Senate is debating their version of the bill and next week a conference committee will write the final bill.
Our congressional allies have asked me to mobilize grassroots support for removing the bad House provisions from the final bill, which brings us to this email. Can we count on your help?
There are five primary Congressional targets for our message, but also several secondary targets, all of whom are listed further down in this email.
By this point, you may be wondering exactly what the “really terrible things” that we’re trying to stop are. Basically, some House Republicans want find safety to be a hindrance to the nuclear weapons enterprise and are trying to tie the hands of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (the only independent federal oversight agency for nuclear weapons sites, and the only federal agency with supoena power that is also friendly to ANA and our allies) and spin the National Nuclear Security Administration further out of the orbit of the Secretary of Energy. I’ve attached a fact sheet detailing why these are all bad ideas.
Now you’re probably wonder exactly what I want you to do about all of this.
#1: It would be super if your organization could sign on to the attached group letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committee members who will be writing the final NDAA next week.
#2: please tell colleagues in your local area about our efforts and invite them to sign our letter.
#3: Ask your members to participate in our national call-in day to protect the safety of nuclear workers and communities that host defense nuclear facilities!
While action #3 is probably the biggest pain in the butt, it really will make a difference. Our congressional allies have ensured us that direct constituent contact has made all of the difference on this issue in the past. This issue is so “in the weeds” that most members of Congress don’t really know what they’re talking about and assume that none of their constituents care — help us PROVE THEM WRONG! I’ve drafted a sample script for folks participating in the call-in day:
Call capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to be connected to your Senator or Representative from our target list below.
Tell the staffer who answers that you are a constituent and a member of your local organization. Tell them that you want your Senator/Representative to reject the House-passed changes to the safety and oversight system for nuclear weapons facilities during conference for the National Defense Authorization Act. Then tell the staffer that their office has received a letter with more details about this issue signed by your local group and as well as other groups across the country.
The primary targets are:
Senator Levin (MI)
Senator McCain (AZ)
Rep. McKeon (CA-25)
Rep. Smith (WA-0)
Rep. Thornberry (TX-13)
Secondary targets are:
Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT)
Sen. Jack Reed (RI)
Sen. Daniel Akaka (HI)
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE)
Sen. Jim Webb (VA)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO)
Sen. Mark Udall (CO)
Sen. Kay Hagen (NC)
Sen. Mark Begich (AK)
Sen. Joe Manchin (WV)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Sen. Richard Bluementhal (CT)
Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK)
Sen. Jeff Sessions(AL)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (GA)
Sen. Roger Wicker (MS)
Sen. Scott Brown (MA)
Sen. Rob Portman (OH)
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (NH)
Sen. Susan Collins (ME)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC)
Sen. John Cornyn (TX)
Sen. David Vitter (LA)
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD)
Rep. Walter Jones (NC)
Rep. Todd Akin (MO)
Rep. Randy Forbes (VA)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (TX)
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA)
Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC)
Rep. Robert Brady (PA)
Rep. Rob Andrews (NJ)
Rep. Susan Davis (CA)
Rep. James Langevin (RI)
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA)
Rep. Jim Cooper (TN)
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
Rep. Joe Courtney (CT)
Rep. Dave Loebsack (IA)
Rep. Niki Tsongas (MA)
Rep. Jeff Miller (FL)
Rep. Joe Wilson (SC)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
Rep. Michael Turner (OH)
Rep. John Kline (MN)
Rep. Mike Rogers (AL)
Rep. Trent Franks (AZ)
Rep. Bill Shuster (PA)
Rep. Michael Conaway (TX)
Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO)
Rep. Rob Wittman (VA)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA)
Rep. John Fleming (LA)
Rep. MIke Coffman (CO)
Rep. Thomas Rooney (FL)
Rep. Todd Platts (PA)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME)
Rep. Larry Kissell (NC)
Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM)
Rep. WIlliam Owens (NY)
Rep. John Garamendi (CA)
Rep. Mark Critz (PA)
Rep. Tim Ryan (OH)
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD)
Rep. Hank Johnson (GA)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH)
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (HI)
Rep. Kathleen Hochul (NY)
Rep. Jackie Speier (CA)
Rep. Scott Rigell (VA)
Rep. Chris Gibson (NY)
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO)
Rep. Joe Heck (NV)
Rep. Bobby Schilling (IL)
Rep. Jon Runyan (NJ)
Rep. Austin Scott (GA)
Rep. Tim Griffin (AR)
Rep. Steve Palazzo (MS)
Rep. Allen West (FL)
Rep. Marthy Roby (AL)
Rep. Mo Brooks (AL)
Rep. Todd Young (IN)
Because the conference committee will take this the NDAA up as soon as next week Tuesday, the deadline for signing our group letter is 5pm PST this week Friday, Nov. 30th. The letter will be delivered the morning of Monday, December 3rd. Katherine M. Fuchs, Program Director, Alliance for Nuclear Accountability ph: 202-544-0217 x 2503. fx: 202-544-6143. www.ananuclear.org Celebrate our 25th anniversary! bit.ly/25ana
