New Nukes Lose: Thank Your Rep.
Good news! By one of the widest margins in years, the House has rejected the administration's request to build a new nuclear weapon.
By a bipartisan vote of 271 to 145, the House refused to add money for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) to its military authorization bill. This vote is particularly important because the RRW would have been the first new U.S. nuclear weapon in two decades and could have led to resumed nuclear testing.
The vote also gives you an opportunity to tell your representative that you oppose all efforts to rebuild the nuclear weapons program. Despite this victory, some members of Congress still want the United States to build new nuclear weapons.
Take Action
Representatives who voted against new nukes need a big "thank you"! If your representative voted for the new nukes money, let her or him know how disappointed you are. You can contact your representative directly through FCNL's website. When you enter your zip code, you'll see a sample message that reflects how your representative voted. See the complete vote count.
Here's What Happened
In February, the administration asked for money to build the new warhead in its budget. Thanks in part to your lobbying, the House Armed Services committee eliminated all money for the program when it edited ("marked up") the military authorization bill, which determines which military programs can receive funding.
But when the bill came to the House floor, Rep. Steve Pearce (NM) introduced an amendment to include the $10 million for the RRW that had been requested by the administration. Forty-four Republicans joined with all but one Democrat to defeat the amendment, making a strong statement against new nuclear weapons.
Since this vote, the RRW has been defeated again: the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee deleted RRW funding from the House Energy and Water Appropriations bill. This bill determines how much money the government will spend on nuclear weapons in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Senate still needs to act on its funding bills, so the RRW is not dead yet. But thanks to your help, chances are good the Senate will follow the House's lead and refuse to fund the program.
Find out more
About RRW
About FCNL's work for nuclear disarmament
Contact your members of Congress through FCNL's web site.
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
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