US Congress Approves of
Stocking Up on More Nuclear Weapons
Win Without War

(July 21, 2024) — Seventy-nine years ago this week, the US government secretly detonated the first nuclear weapon in the deserts of New Mexico.

Less than four weeks later, the United States dropped bombs on and leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instantly killing upwards of 120,000 people. The world lives with the fallout: Nine nuclear-armed countries currently hold the destructive power of 135,000 Hiroshima bombs. Right now, several are at, or terrifyingly close to, war.

Violence across Israel, Palestine, and beyond is escalating, US democracy seems on a precipice, and across the globe, too many people fall asleep terrified of what tomorrow will bring. Yet, as the world barrels toward a doomsday scenario, every weapons lobbyist in Washington is heading to the Hill to sell more weapons in the name of “safety”.

It’s all happening as crucial negotiations between the House and Senate over the National Defense Authorization Act come to a head. This must-pass bill sets topline budgets and policy on everything from war monuments to nukes. Our team needs to be ready to drown out the war lobby and ANY attempts to pad the nuclear weapons budget if we want to de-escalate this arms race to the bottom — and we need you with us.

Not many are willing to go up against the enormous influence of mega weapons corporations and their lobbyists, but that’s exactly what we’re planning. As we take action, we need to ask if you can too. Please make an urgent donation to fuel our work to stop a huge and unnecessary expansion of the US nuclear arsenal now.

Even before global tensions ticked up with Hamas’ appalling attacks on October 7 and Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions” due to the nuclear arms race.

The problem? Too many world leaders and decision-makers are stoking the fires of a nuclear nightmare. On Thursday, Russia’s foreign minister threatened the forward-deployment of nuclear-armed missiles. Last month, a senior Israeli lawmaker suggested nuclear attacks on Iran. Earlier this summer, Sen. Lindsey Graham callously offered the US bombing of Hiroshima as an example of how the Israeli government could do ‘whatever’ it wants to in Gaza.

Actions like these drive a terrifying feedback loop. You wouldn’t be surprised that ALL nine nuclear-armed countries — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — are increasing their weapons spending. Experts expect the global nuclear stockpiles will only grow as a result.

That’s where we come in. Last year, organizations like Win Without War and our partners helped reduce the number of nuclear warheads. This year we’re working hard to shrink global arsenals even further.

We don’t have to tell you that with conflicts and crises deepening across the globe, this work is only getting more challenging, but the last thing that will build security is more bombs.

In the coming weeks, Congress could push the world closer to doomsday by pouring BILLIONS of dollars into apocalyptic nuclear weapons — unless our crucial campaign to pull back changes the game.

Even a “small” nuclear war — deploying just three percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal — would have apocalyptic effects. Millions would be killed on impact, followed by environmental destruction, famine, and more death in the fallout.

Avoiding this nightmare scenario has been a huge part of Win Without War’s work. We don’t have to tell you that there are many urgent crises to respond to, but the simple truth is that with the lives of millions on the line, we can’t afford to let our work to build a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons fall behind.

ACTION: To drown out the war lobby and push back on ANY attempts to pad the nuclear war budget, we need you with us. As we head into the last weeks of July we’re facing a $15,847 fundraising shortfall.

Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team