[Peace-discuss] Responding to your message

Thu Feb 8 19:00:43 UTC 2018

To my true anti-war activist colleagues. Please resist the urge to regurgitate upon reading this message, because it gives us an idea of the rhetoric to be used in support of continued US taxpayers supporting military weapons proliferation, aggression, provocations, and imperialism.

On Feb 8, 2018, at 10:45, Senator Tammy Duckworth <correspondence at duckworth.senate.gov<mailto:correspondence at duckworth.senate.gov>> wrote:

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on the dangers of nuclear weapons. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns on this important matter.

Our Nation must have an in-depth discussion on behalf of our men and women in uniform regarding our role in any international conflict and how we engage in those conflicts. I strongly support the need for Congress to reassert the Legislative Branch's role in authorizing and overseeing military operations. This duty is particularly grave when considering the use of nuclear weapons. I also believe that any significant change to our nuclear deterrence policy must be carefully considered to guard against unintended consequences.

Since the Cold War, the United States has been a partner to global treaties with the aim of ensuring global security and stability through reducing nuclear threats and proliferation. We must continue to uphold these vital mutual nuclear security agreements that have achieved real results. For example, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which was signed with the Soviet Union in 1987, committed both countries to ban all ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. By 1991, we were joined by five additional countries, further enhancing global nuclear security.

I believe it is in our national interest to continue honoring treaties like the INF Treaty, and subsequent agreements such as New START, which limits the number of strategic warheads both Russia and the United States may retain. We should also continuing implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, which has helped bring Iran back from the brink of becoming a nuclear power.

The United States demonstrates global leadership when it serves as a reliable and committed partner to advancing global security through nuclear nonproliferation agreements. However, while we must support and strengthen global nonproliferation efforts, the U.S. must always retain its right to self-defense, as well as the defense of our allies -- for me, this is non-negotiable. This means retaining a ready and capable nuclear deterrent in the form of the nuclear triad, which refers to our ability to launch nuclear strikes from land, sea or air.

The responsibility for conscientious nuclear arms policy remains extremely important. As our relationship with Russia continues to change, and other actors like North Korea recklessly accelerate their dangerous nuclear development and ballistic missile testing, the United States faces a difficult challenge of conducting effective diplomacy, developing a coherent strategy to counter nuclear threats, while always maintaining our right to defend ourselves and our allies. Rest assured, I will keep your views in mind if legislation addressing nuclear weapons come comes to the Senate floor for a vote.

Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. If you would like more information on my work in the Senate, please visit my website at www.duckworth.senate.gov<http://www.duckworth.senate.gov>. You can access my voting record and see what I am doing to address today’s most important issues. I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.

Sincerely,
[https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/Customers/SenDuckworth/Duckworth.png]<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Foutreach.senate.gov%2Fiqextranet%2FiqClickTrk.aspx%3F%26cid%3DSenDuckworth%26crop%3D15352QQQ21263934QQQ6459214QQQ7370150%26report_id%3DSignature%26redirect%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fduckworth.senate.gov%26redir_log%3D800154790113193&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ce7a7a31390b94151c46908d56f2422a7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636537123342888826&sdata=2UXYC2sfz2q98otRBgKG3UppMYqkrsVhrb%2Fut4xuKnY%3D&reserved=0>
Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator

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