[Peace-discuss] Fwd: FCNL (11/7/03): Partial Victories on New Nuclear Weapons

Fri Nov 7 14:13:12 CST 2003

>Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 11:33:59 -0500 (EST)
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>Subject: FCNL (11/7/03): Partial Victories on New Nuclear Weapons
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>FCNL INFOLINE
>11/07/03
>
>(To learn more about the FCNL INFOLINE, please see the end of this message.)
>
>House and Senate conferees met this past week (the week of November 3), to 
>finish both the fiscal year 2004 energy and water appropriations bill (HR 
>2754) and the fiscal year 2004 defense authorization bill (HR 
>1588).  These bills provide authorization and funding for the nuclear 
>weapons activities of the Energy and Defense Departments.  Within the 
>energy and water appropriations bill are funds for the Robust Nuclear 
>Earth Penetrator (RNEP), or nuclear "bunker buster" and for advanced 
>nuclear weapons concepts.  It also includes funds to design and examine 
>the environmental impacts of a new nuclear bomb plant, called the Modern 
>Pit Facility.  According to disarmament advocates, the important part of 
>the defense authorization bill was the possible repeal the ban on research 
>and development of low-yield nuclear weapons, sometimes called 
>"mini-nukes."  Known as the Spratt-Furse law in recognition of its 
>original sponsors, the prohibition has served as a significant barrier to th!
>  e development and production of "mini-nukes."
>
>In a significant victory for disarmament, the conferees for the energy and 
>water
>appropriations bill cut half the funds for the nuclear bunker buster, from 
>$15 million to $7.5 million.  The conferees fully funded the $6 million 
>requested by the President for advanced nuclear weapons concepts, but of 
>which $4 million will be unavailable until the Energy Department submits 
>to Congress a report detailing future nuclear reductions.   The conferees 
>also approved $10.8 million for the Modern Pit Facility, a reduction of 
>$12.0 million from the Administration's request.
>
>The conferees for the defense authorization bill (HR 1588) unfortunately 
>decided to repeal the Spratt-Furse ban on low-yield nuclear weapons (the 
>House version modified the ban instead of repealing it).  While the final 
>bill authorizes research into low-yield nuclear weapons, it prohibits the 
>Energy Department from performing any development work that may lead to 
>the production of these weapons.  In other words, the scientists at the 
>national nuclear weapons laboratories may draw detailed plans of new 
>mini-nukes, but they may not start "bending metal" unless they come back 
>to Congress to get permission.  Thus, the ban on research and development 
>was lost, but a new hurdle was enacted.  A similar ban on development, or 
>"metal bending" was imposed on the RNEP, or nuclear "bunker buster."
>
>To learn more about these weapons programs and other nuclear weapons 
>issues, visit FCNL's nuclear weapons web site at 
>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/issue.php?issue_id=2.
>
>While seemingly small, the arms control community regards these budget 
>cuts as a significant political victory, given the current political 
>climate.  Many within the Administration and Congress are very hostile 
>towards any sort of arms control or disarmament.  These cuts show the 
>extraordinary influence that activists like you can have on 
>Congress.  Throughout the past year, thousand of emails, faxes, and phone 
>calls to Congress helped many members of Congress take a principled stance 
>against these dangerous nuclear weapons proposals.  Thank you to all who 
>sent an email, letter, fax, or made a phone call to Congress.  Thank you 
>also to those who helped educate their community on these important 
>issues.  Your work has made a real difference.
>
>The future of these nuclear weapons systems is far from clear.  It will 
>take several more years of congressional funding before these systems can 
>be deployed.  There are still many opportunities to stop these new nuclear 
>weapons from being developed.  These same issues will be debated in 
>Congress next year and most likely the following year as well.  They may 
>also be raised in the presidential races in early primary states.  The 
>opposition to these weapons systems is quickly growing.  Nuclear weapons 
>proponents will have to work very hard, while facing considerable 
>opposition, if these new weapons are to be built.
>
>FCNL's new "Vote 2004" web page has action suggestions and information on 
>the 2004 elections.  This growing resource can help activists like you 
>influence the electoral process.  To see questions to ask the candidates 
>on arms control and disarmament, go to http://www.fcnl.org/elections_2004.htm
>
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>We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
>We seek a society with equity and justice for all
>We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
>We seek an earth restored...
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