Grassroots Anti-Nuke Group Believes US Should Never Launch a First Strike Nuclear Attack
Today, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced the No First Use Act, a bill that would make it the policy of the United States not to use nuclear weapons first.
In response to the announcement, Cecili Thompson Williams, Director of Beyond the Bomb, a people-powered campaign working to free our planet from nuclear violence, issued the following statement:
“With nuclear war only a tweet away, we can no longer stand idly by while a broken nuclear system hands an American president, Republican or Democrat, the power to start a nuclear war on a whim. Today’s introduction of the No First Use Act is a pivotal step toward establishing no-first-use as official US policy and paving the way toward defusing current nuclear tensions.
“This month’s Doomsday Clock announcement was a wake-up call and emphasizes the lack of progress world leaders have made toward denuclearization efforts. For too long, nuclear weapons have been treated as a wonder drug for national security — but these barbaric Cold War relics fail utterly to address 21st century challenges. Establishing a No-First-Use policy would be a historic step toward curing our addiction to nuclear weapons. By making these weapons unavailable to war planners early in a conflict, we strip them of their perceived value and relegate them to the metaphorical basement where they’re more susceptible to disarmament.
“Donald Trump already brings enough volatility to his role as commander-in-chief, and nowhere is that more dangerous than his authority over nuclear weapons. It’s crucial that our elected officials take concrete action to rein in America’s nuclear monarchy and prohibit this or any president from starting a nuclear war.
“Beyond the Bomb members across the country stand behind this important legislation and demand support from their members of Congress. The prospect that nuclear weapons will be used is the most urgent threat to human life, public health, the environment, and the economy. No First Use can radically reduce that risk and pave the way for progress on eliminating nuclear weapons everywhere.”
# # # # #