ACTION: Tell Senate : ‘No Mini-Nukes!”

June 6th, 2004 - by admin

Tri-Valley CARES – 2004-06-06 10:04:35

http://www.trivalleycares.org

The Feinstein-Kennedy amendment to cut funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator and other new nukes was debated on the Senate floor this past Friday. We all have a little more time to communicate with Senate offices on this issue — the earliest the Senate may vote on the Feinstein-Kennedy amendment is next Monday evening, probably Tuesday. Details below.

ACTION ALERT

• Support the Feinstein-Kennedy amendment to stop the funding for nuclear bunker busters and other advanced nuclear weapons concepts

• Call your Senators and Representatives at 202-224-3121 (Congressional switchboard)

• Write your Senators using email at http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

Timing: Act Now!
The Senate will vote on amendments to the defense authorization bill (S. 2400) as early as Monday evening, June 7th.

Background:
The Senate will vote on key nuclear weapons programs when it takes up the amendment by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) to cut $27.5 million in funding for research into a new nuclear bunker buster and $9 million for other advanced nuclear weapons concepts.

Senators should oppose funding for the “Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator” to modify two existing types of nuclear weapons with explosive powers fifty times that of the bomb used over Hiroshima for destroying deep underground bunkers.

Even these large nuclear weapons would be ineffective to the depths that modern bunkers can be built and the collateral damage from such an explosion would kill millions if the bunker was located beneath a major city.

The “Advanced Concepts Initiative” gives US nuclear weapons labs money to design new mini-nuclear weapons and other new concepts. Even the smallest yield nuclear earth penetrator would create heavy collateral damage. Their small size could lead the President to more readily consider their use in future conflicts.

Their research, development and potential use encourages other nations to consider them a desirable weapon to own.

The President has requested the highest budget for nuclear weapons activities since the all-time record set under President Reagan during the Cold War. At a time of war and record deficits, Congress needs your support to cut the nuclear weapons budget and curb the pursuit of new nuclear weapons programs.

These programs send a clear “do as I say, not as I do” message to the rest of the world and threaten to undermine the nation’s attempts to stem the world’s appetite for weapons of mass destruction.

Suggested message to Senators:
Please support the Feinstein-Kennedy amendment to cut funding for nuclear bunker busters and other advanced nuclear weapons.

This alert comes from the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Tri-Valley CAREs and other allied groups. Please call or email today to help cut new nuclear weapons!

PS — If your one of your Senators is either Feinstein (CA) or Kennedy (MA), please make a second call to their office to say “thank you” for sponsoring this important amendment.

Marylia Kelley Executive Director Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment) 2582 Old First Street Livermore, CA USA 94551. (925) 443-7148 – is our phone (925) 443-0177 – is our fax

http://www.trivalleycares.org