Along with dozens of coalition partners and national security experts, FCNL sent Sen. Jack Reed (RI), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, a letter urging him to support a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that bars deployment of new low-yield nuclear warheads.
Dear Senator Reed,
As leaders of organizations representing millions of Americans, and as experts with decades of experience in U.S. defense and security policy, we call on you to support the House decision to prevent deployment of the Trump administration’s unneeded and dangerous W76-2 nuclear warhead as you finalize the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
As you know, the House legislation eliminates the $19.6 million in Navy funding for W76-2 deployment. By a vote of 201-221 on the floor, the House resoundingly defeated an attempt to restore that funding. A similar effort on the Fiscal Year 2020 Defense Appropriations bill was defeated even more soundly, by a vote of 192-236. In short, the House of Representatives has repeatedly expressed their opposition, through multiple floor votes, to this warhead.
In addition, while the Senate did not vote on the W76-2, 18 Senate Democrats—a sizable portion of the Democratic caucus—sent you a letter calling on you to support the House position in opposition to the W76-2.
Furthermore, we hope you saw the letter from more than 30 former senior officials, including former defense secretary William Perry and former secretary of state George Shultz, recommending that Congress reject the W76-2 because the weapon is “a gateway to nuclear catastrophe and should not be pursued.”
As was emphasized repeatedly in the House debate, it is illogical and dangerous to use the weapon that is the foundation of our strategic nuclear deterrent in a tactical manner. It needlessly puts that invaluable resource at risk. Congress should reject deployment of the W76-2, and we call on you to do everything in your power to achieve that outcome.
Sincerely,
Andrew Albertson, Executive Director, Foreign Policy for America
Alexandra Bell, Former senior advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Dr. Joe Berkson, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Carly Brooks, Coordinator, Washington Against Nuclear Weapons Coalition
Ambassador (ret) Susan F. Burk, Former special representative of the president for nuclear nonproliferation
Jay Coghlan, Executive Director, Nuclear Watch New Mexico
Tom Z. Collina, Policy Director, Ploughshares Fund
Tom Countryman, Former acting undersecretary of state for Arms Control and International Security
Philip E. Coyle, III, Former associate director for national security and international affairs, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House
Caroline Dorminey, Policy Director, Women’s Action for New Directions
Tom Ferguson, President, Nuclear Watch South
Steve Fetter, Former principal assistant director for national security and international affairs, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House
Lt. General (USA, Ret.) Robert G. Gard, Jr., Former President, National Defense University
Joyce Hall, Coordinator, Pax Christi Dallas
Don Hancock, Administrator, Southwest Research and Information Center, Albuquerque, NM
Gary Hart, Former U.S. Senator (Ret.), 1975-1987
Heidi Hess and Josh Nelson, Co-Directors, CREDO
Newell Highsmith, Former deputy legal adviser, Department of State
Ambassador (ret) Bonnie Jenkins, Founder and Executive Director, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation, Former ambassador, special envoy and coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, State Department
Derek Johnson, Executive Director, Global Zero
Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, Tri-Valley CAREs, Livermore, CA
Ambassador (ret) Laura E. Kennedy, Former U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament
Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association
John LaForge, Co-director, Nukewatch, Wisconsin
Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director, Policy and Political Affairs, Peace Action
Stephen Miles, Executive Director, Win Without War
Robert K. Musil, President & CEO, Rachel Carson Council
Richard Nephew, Former principal deputy coordinator for sanctions policy, Department of State
Angel Padilla, National Policy Director, Indivisible
Ned Price, Former special assistant to the president and senior director, National Security Council, The White House
Henry Stover, Chairperson, Board of Directors, PeaceWorks Kansas City
John Tierney, Executive Director Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Former member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1997-2015
Ellen Thomas, Coordinator, Proposition One Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Future
Cecili Thompson Williams, Director, Beyond the Bomb
Mark Udall, Former member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1998-2008, U.S. Senator, 2009-2015
Frank N. von Hippelm Former assistant director for national security, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House
Anthony Wier, Legislative Secretary, Nuclear Disarmament and Pentagon Spending, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Jon Wolfsthal, Former special assistant to the president and senior director for nuclear nonproliferation and arms control, National Security Council, The White House
Stephen Young, Washington Representative, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
