Make a difference in the challenge to confront global warming and prevent nuclear war and the development and use of nuclear weapons.
Today, PSR is joining with dozens of organizations, representing millions of Americans, calling on the U.S. Senate to pass clean energy and climate legislation. Please tell your Senators that we can no longer delay action if we are to protect our health and the health of future generations from catastrophic climate change.
Late in the evening on July 23rd, the Senate passed a new, slightly weaker, version of Senator Jon Kyl’s (R-AZ) Amendment (S.1760). Kyl-lite, you could say. The new amendment requires the President to report on the Administration’s plans to “enhance the safety, security, and reliability” of the United States nuclear weapons stockpile, modernize the nuclear weapons complex, and maintain nuclear weapons delivery systems.
To the relief of many, the word “modernize” is used only in terms of the nuclear weapons complex, not the stockpile itself. This is not as large of a blow to nonproliferation policy as was originally anticipated. Senator Kerry (D-MA) made it clear in his floor statement that this is not about new nuclear weapons. He said that the amendment is defining enhancements carried out to the U.S. Stockpile Stewardship Program, a program that simply replaces old parts with news ones to keep nuclear warheads safe, secure and reliable. Unfortunately, this may not be the view held by the entire Senate.
Kingston Reif states on Nukes of Hazard:
Sen. Kyl likely had to retract his original amendment because he couldn't find 33 additional Republicans (or hawkish Dem's such as Liebermann, Ben Nelson, or Begich) willing to aid him in his efforts to sabotage the START follow-on negotiations while they're still ongoing (34 votes will be required to defeat the Treaty). This bodes well for the prospects of a START follow-on treaty when it comes to the Senate floor, likely sometime next spring.
The amendment is still far from perfect, however, and its original intent lays out the agenda of the opposition within the U.S. Senate to ratification of the follow-on agreement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Treaty. The START follow-on is essential to facilitate nuclear reduction between the United States and Russia, since it calls for verifiable reductions in not only nuclear weapons in both nations, but also their delivery vehicles. This is one of several amendments Senator Kyl attempted to pass which looks to weaken U.S. nuclear nonproliferation policy.
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Please take a few minutes today to ask the people in your networks to join PSR in our work to eliminate nuclear weapons, to reverse global warming and the toxic degradation of the environment, and to promote safe energy.
Steps to Safety (for General Audiences)
PowerPoint presentation on how nuclear weapons put the United States at risk today--and how we can reduce and eventually eliminate the danger posed by the thousands of nuclear weapons still stockpiled in nuclear arsenals, the tons of nuclear bomb making material vulnerable to theft by extremists, and the specter of more nations potentially seeking nuclear weapons. Read more »
Shock and Awe Hits Home
The military operational costs of the war in Iraq, now greater than $500 billion, have surpassed those for the entire Vietnam conflict. These escalating operational costs are alarming, yet the long-term public health costs will be much greater. Read more »
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