HIGHEST PRIORITY: The Nuclear Bunker Buster

[realFedUp]

HIGHEST PRIORITY: The Nuclear Bunker Buster

Upcoming floor vote in the Senate. Please call your senators.
ACTION. Call, fax, or e-mail your Senators, urging them to support amendments to cut funds for new nuclear weapons, including the nuclear bunker buster and "advanced concept initiatives."

Capitol switchboard: 202/225-3121 * 800-648-3516 (toll-free)
Online congressional directories: Senate & House
Also: FCNL Congressional Directory

Senators who especially need to hear from their constituents:
CT: Joe Lieberman (D)
GA: Zell Miller (D)
IN: Evan Bayh (D)
LA: John Breaux (D)
ME: Susan Collins (R) and Olympia Snowe (R)
NE: Chuck Hagel (R) and Ben Nelson (D)
OR: Gordon Smith (R)
PA: Specter (R)


BACKGROUND. Congress is in the process of considering appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2004 federal budget, which begins October 1, 2003. One of the 13 appropriations bills is "Energy & Water," which includes money for nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy. This year's Energy & Water Appropriations Bill contains a $15 million line item for the second year of a $45 million 3-year study of a nuclear bunker buster (or Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, RNEP). The bill also contains $6 million for advanced nuclear weapons concepts, which means developing new nuclear weapons technologies and thus accelerating the nuclear arms race.

UPDATE. On July 18, the House cut $10 million of the $15 million for a nuclear bunker buster, and the entire $6 million for advanced concepts, from the House version of the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill. The Senate will be voting on its version of the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill in September. It contains the full $15 million for a nuclear bunker buster, and the $6 million for advanced nuclear weapons concepts. WAND is advocating that Senators support the reductions the House made. Floor amendments on these issues are expected when the Senate considers the Energy & Water Appropriations Bill.

RELATED NEWS ARTICLE: Anti-nuke rally at lab draws 1,200

By Sarah Krupp, CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 8/11/03
We are trying to stop the spread of (nuclear weapons) in the world, and the way to do that is for us to develop new ones? It doesn't make any sense.
-- John Helding, 45, of San Francisco
Full article

LET'S KEEP THE BAN ON LOW-YIELD NUCLEAR WEAPONS

During consideration of the Fiscal Year 2004 Defense Authorization Bill, the House of Representatives voted to allow research on low-yield nuclear weapons, but retained the 1993 "Spratt-Furse" ban on development activities that could lead to production.
The Senate version of the 2004 Defense Authorization Bill repeals the "Spratt-Furse" ban, a devastating blow to nuclear arms control. A small consolation is that the Senate version does require the administration to return to Congress for funding for development, testing or production of low-yield nuclear weapons.

The House version is stronger and WAND is advocating its adoption in the upcoming Department of Defense Authorization Conference agreement.

ACTION. Contact your members of Congress. Message. Maintain the ban on development of low-yield nuclear weapons. We urge Congress to adopt the House version of the Defense Authorization bill on low-yield nuclear weapons because it more effectively maintains this ban.

Capitol switchboard: 202/225-3121 * 800-648-3516 (toll-free)
Online congressional directories: Senate & House
Also: FCNL Congressional Directory

Senators who especially need to hear from their constituents (Republican senators on the Department of Defense Authorization Conference Committee): Warner (VA), McCain (AZ), Inhofe (OK), Roberts (KS), Allard (CO), Sessions (AL), Collins (ME), Ensign (NV), Talent (MO), Chambliss (GA), Graham (SC), Dole (NC), Cronyn (TX), and in the House, Weldon (PA).

[xxqqqzme]

1. done

TrueMajority is sending free faxes 2 your senators!
http://www.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=10060&ms=nuksen1&ref=40824

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Done. And isn't that 'nifty'? n/t

[buddhamama]

3. contacted them this morning

thanks for putting this out there.

[blm]

4. FYI...Kerry slammed their use in his speech.

He said he would cut all tactical nukes out of the defense budget.

[Q]

5. The Bushies want Bunker Busters so they can fight...

...their 'bloodless', armchair wars where they can kill the maximum amount of 'brown people' with one bomb from a distance.

[reachout]

6. "Useable" Nukes

The term sends a cold chill down my back...like someone walking on my grave.