Stories & Successes
On may 20-21 the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold a summit in Chicago. Many had hoped that important questions about nuclear weapons in Europe would be decided. However, this does not look likely. The World Council of Churches has issued a statement expressing its disappointment that important nuclear issues will not be addressed by NATO.
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On May 8, FCNL joined 14 other arms control organizations to call on members of the House Armed Services committee to to support two amendments to the defense authorization bill in advance of the committee's mark-up of the bill on May 9. The two amendments would save hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on nuclear weapons.
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There is still enough nuclear material around the world to make over 100,000 Hiroshima sized nuclear weapons. Fortunately, the United States has several successful programs which secure vulnerable bomb-grade nuclear material around the world. Since April 2010 the Global Threat Reduction Initiative has removed almost 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium from countries around the world. Since 2004, the budget for nuclear nonproliferation programs like the GTRI has more than tripled. In the coming year, FCNL will continue working to support nuclear nonproliferation programs and their funding.
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FCNL Statement of Legislative Policy
"We believe that nations must move toward comprehensive disarmament. We urge the elimination of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
We also advocate that the United States take unilateral steps toward its own disarmament, believing that other nations will respond affirmatively to this example. The risks of disarmament are far smaller than the risks involved in the current course of weapons stockpiling and development."
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