Vladimir Putin has made terrifying nuclear threats as part of his horrific war against Ukraine. The prospect of war over Taiwan is rising. Last August, the UN Secretary-General said “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”
In short the risk of nuclear war is all too real — perhaps greater than it has been since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 – threatening all of humanity. It’s well past time for the United States and the world to get serious about nuclear disarmament and to take steps to prevent nuclear war and reduce nuclear risks.
Congress has a vital role to play in championing nuclear risk reduction and disarmament. In that spirit, we ask you to join Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) in co-sponsoring H. Res. 77, a resolution calling on the United States to embrace the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and to take concrete policy steps to reduce nuclear risks.
More specifically, the resolution calls on the United States to make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of the national security policy of the United States and calls on the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, all other Federal and congressional leaders of the United States and the American people to lead a global effort to move the world back from the nuclear brink and to prevent nuclear war by:
Actively pursuing and concluding negotiations on a new, bilateral nuclear arms control and disarmament framework agreement with the Russian Federation before 2026 and pursuing negotiations with China and other nuclear-armed states on an agreement or agreements for the verifiable, enforceable, and timebound elimination of global nuclear arsenals;
Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first;
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- Ending the President’s sole authority to launch a nuclear attack;
- Taking the nuclear weapons of the United States off hair-trigger alert; and
- Canceling the plan to replace the nuclear arsenal of the United States with modernized, enhanced weapons.
This time of war and heightened global tensions is a stark reminder of why the United States, Russia, China and all nuclear weapons states need to revitalize nuclear arms reductions and disarmament efforts. Before the unthinkable happens. U.S. nuclear weapons did nothing to deter Vladimir Putin’s war on the Ukrainian people. They don’t make the United States nor any country safe. They are illegitimate, immoral instruments of national security that must be eliminated before catastrophe strikes.
Some say that it is unrealistic to talk about abolishing nuclear weapons. We say it is unrealistic to think we can continue with thousands of nuclear weapons in the world and expect that they will not be used. Many experts and former defense officials have for years pointed out that we have likely avoided a nuclear war largely because of luck, not because of sound policies or decision making or infallible technology.
Public support for abolishing nuclear weapons is strong. In the US, a growing number of local and state governments – from small towns to major cities – have adopted resolutions supporting complete nuclear disarmament and these same policies to help prevent nuclear war. Internationally 122 countries – two-thirds of the world’s nations – voted to adopt the TPNW.
Please be a voice and advocate for sensible nuclear weapons policies that will help prevent nuclear war and achieve global nuclear disarmament. Co-sponsoring H. Res. 77 is one simple way for you to show that leadership.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
Jeff Ordower
North America Director
350.org
Philadelphia, PA
Tori Bateman
Policy Advocacy Coordinator
American Friends Service Committee
Philadelphia, PA
Linda Pentz Gunter
International Specialist
Beyond Nuclear
Takoma Park, MD
Reuben Eckel
Domestic Policy Advocate
Church World Service
Lorton, VA
Holly Lindamood
Associate Director
Daisy Alliance
Atlanta, GA
Michele Dunne
Executive Director
Franciscan Action Network
Washington, DC
Allen Hester
Legislative Representative, Nuclear Disarmament & Pentagon Spending
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Washington, DC
Lukas Ross
Program Manager
Friends of the Earth US
Washington, DC
Tony Jenkins
Coordinator
Global Campaign for Peace Education
International Institute on Peace Education
Washington, DC
Susan O’Malley
UN Representative
International Federation of Business and Professional Women
Brooklyn, NY
Saffet Catovic
Programs Manager and Head of the Islamic Society of North America
Office of Interfaith, Community Alliances and Government Relations
Washington, DC
Ariana Smith
Executive Director
Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy
New York, NY
Dan Moriarty
Senior Program Officer, Sustainable Pathways to Peace
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Washington, DC
Susan Gordon
Coordinator
Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment
Albuquerque, NM
Keith Swartzendruber
Interim Advocacy Coordinator
National Council of Churches
Washington, DC
Geoffrey Fettus
Director, Nuclear Program
Natural Resources Defense Council
Washington, DC
George Crocker
Executive Director
North American Water Office
Lake Elmo, MN
Johnny Zokovitch
Executive Director
Pax Christi USA
Washington, DC
Kevin Martin
President
Peace Action
Washington, DC
Jeff Carter
Executive Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Washington, DC
Catherine Gordon
Representative for International Issues
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Washington, DC
Savannah Wooten
Pentagon Spending Advocate
Public Citizen
Washington, DC
Robert K. Musil, Ph.D., M.P.H.
President & CEO
Rachel Carson Council
Bethesda, MD
Herb Geraghty
Executive Director
Rehumanize International
Pittsburgh, PA
Tarunjit Butalia
Executive Director
Religions for Peace USA
Dublin, OH
Norm Solomon
National Director
RootsAction
Sacramento, CA
Mark Muhich
Chairman, Sierra Club Stop Nuclear Weapons Team
Sierra Club
Pulaski, NY
Adin Strauss
General Director
Soka Gakkai International-USA
Washington, DC
Paul Chaffee
Editor Emeritus
The Interfaith Observer
Seattle, WA
John Hill
Interim General Secretary
The United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society
Washington, DC
Tara Drozdenko, Ph.D
Director, Global Security Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
Cambridge, MA
Mike Neuroth
Policy Advocate for International Issues
United Church of Christ, Justice & Witness Ministries
Washington, DC
Jacqueline Cabasso
National Co-convener
United for Peace and Justice
Oakland, CA, CA
Darien De Lu
President
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S.
Des Moines, IA
Local/Regional Organizations
Stephen Brittle
President
Don’t Waste Arizona
Phoenix, AZ
The Rev. Steve Keplinger
Rector
Grace St. Paul’s
Tucson, AZ
Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa
Coordinators
The Nuclear Resister
Tucson, AZ
Leslie Grady
Communications
Prescott Peacebuilders
Prescott, AZ
Paula Brown-Williams
Executive Board Member
East Bay Peace Action
Albany, CA
Gar Smith
Cofounder and Director
Environmentalists Against War
Berkeley, CA
Stephen F. Rohde
Chair
Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace
Los Angeles, CA
Jerry Rubin
Director
Los Angeles Alliance for Survival
Santa Monica, CA
Catherine Crockett
Board President
Monterey Peace and Justice Center
Seaside, CA
Libbe HaLevy
Producer/Host
Nuclear Hotseat Podcast
Los Angeles, CA
Ron Zucker
Member of the Board
Peace Action of San Mateo County
Petaluma, CA
Judy Irving
Executive Director
Pelican Media
San Francisco, CA
Robert Dodge MD
Chair, Board of Directors
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Bart Ziegler PhD
President
Samuel Lawrence Foundation
San Diego, CA
Robert Gould, MD
President
San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
San Francisco, CA
Molly Johnson
Member of the Board
San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace
Paso Robles, CA
Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
Livermore, CA
The Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, VII
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California (retired)
Founder and President Emeritus of the United Religions Initiative
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons-United Religions Initiative
San Francisco, CA
Jackie Cabasso
Executive Director
Western States Legal Foundation
Oakland, CA
Sanderson Beck
President
World Peace Communications
Santa Barbara, CA
Glenn Carroll
Coordinator
Nuclear Watch South
Atlanta, GA
Theresa El-Amin
Board Chair
Southern Anti-Racism Network
Columbus, GA
Jalani Traxler
Board Member
The Noble Truth Project
Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Kryszak
Director of Strategic Planning
Franciscan Peace Center
Clinton, IA
Janice Cebula
President
Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, IA
Linda Myers
St. Thomas More Social Justice Commission
Coralville, IA
David Borris
President
Chicago Area Peace Action
Highland Park, IL
Sr. Rose Therese Nolta
Justice and Peace Coordinator
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, USA-JPIC
Northfield, IL
Maureen Headington
President
Stand Up/Save Lives Campaign
Burr Ridge, IL
David Keppel
Spokesperson
Bloomington Peace Action Coalition
Bloomington, IN
Diane Turco
Director
Cape Downwinders
Cape Cod, MA
Deborah Katz
Executive Director
Citizens Awareness Network
Rowe, MA
Khalil Ryan
Policy Analyst
Good Energy Collective
Boston, MA
Anna Linakis
Executive Director
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Brookline, MA
The Reverend Lauren Holm, Convenor
Greater Springfield Campaign Nonviolence
Springfield, MA
Susan Mirsky
Board Chair Nuclear Disarmament Working Group
Massachusetts Peace Action
Newton, MA
Tony Palomba
Coordinator, Peace and Common Security Working Group
Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment
Watertown, MA
Ira Helfand MD
Physicians for Social Responsibility/ Pioneer Valley
Leeds, MA
Austin Wertheimer
The Social Justice Committee, 384 Campus
Congregation Mishkan Tefila
Brookline, MA
Max Obuszewski
Founder
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
Baltimore, MD
Jean Athey
Convenor
Baltimore Peace Action
Baltimore, MD
Christina Yao Pelliccioni
President
Consistent Life Network
Kensington, MD
Jean Athey
Secretary of Board
Maryland Peace Action
Baltimore, MD
Tony Langbehn
Convenor
Maryland United for Peace and Justice
Silver Spring, MD
Peter Gorman, M.D, M.S.
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Chesapeake
Baltimore, MD
Dat Duthinh
Prevent Nuclear War-Maryland
Frederick, MD
Lucy Duff
Acting Communications Secretary
Prince George’s County Peace & Justice Coalition
Greenbelt, MD
Karen Donahue
Justice Team Member
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Silver Spring, MD
Daniel Oppenheim
Chair, Tikkun Olam Committee
Congregation Bet Ha’am
South Portland, ME
Daniel Oppenheim
Chair, Public Health Committee, Maine Medical Association
Maine Medical Association
Manchester, ME
Sydney R. Sewall, MD, MPH
President
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Maine Chapter
Augusta, ME
Jessie Collins
Co-Chair
Citizens’ Resistance at Fermi Two (CRAFT)
Redford, MI
Alice Hirt
Co-Chair
Don’t Waste Michigan
Holland, MI
Kathryn Barnes
Board Member
Don’t Waste Michigan-Sherwood Chapter
Sherwood, MI
Rev. Rich Peacock
Peace Action of Michigan
Sterling Heights, MI
Richard Van Dellen
Member Ministry and Counsel Committee
Rochester Friends Meeting
Rochester, MN
Henry Stoever
Co-Chair of Board of Directors
PeaceWorks Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
Ellen Thomas
Director
Proposition One Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Future
Tryon, NC
Anne Craig
Reject Raytheon Asheville
Asheville, NC
Rachael Bliss
Administrator
WNC4Peace
Asheville, NC
Donna Olsen
Senior Pastor
Hope 4 All Interfaith Community
Fargo, ND
Will Hopkins
Director
NH Peace Action
Concord, NH
Patricia Alessandrini
Secretary
Bergen County Green Party
Teaneck, NJ
Peggy Monges
President
New Jersey Peace Action
Montclair, NJ
Sally Jane Gellert
Occupy Bergen County
Bergen County, NJ
Joni Arends
Co-founder and Executive Director
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety
Santa Fe, NM
Jay Coghlan
Executive Director
Nuclear Watch New Mexico
Santa Fe, NM
Kenneth Mayers
Chapter Co-founder
Veterans for Peace Santa Fe Chapter
Santa Fe, NM
Jean Stevens
Director
Taos Environmental Film Festival
Ranchos de Taos, NM
Ian Zabarte
Secretary
Native Community Action Council
Las Vegas, NV
Judy Treichel
Executive Director
Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force
Las Vegas, NV
Peter McCarthy
Coordinating Committee
CNY Solidarity Coalition
Syracuse, NY
Carol Crossed
President
Feminists Choosing Life of New York
Rochester, NY
Holly Adams
Co-Convener
Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace
Geneseo, NY
Tom Faranda
Facilitator
Holy Name of Mary Parish Respect Life Society
Croton, NY
Martin Melkonian
Board Member
L.I.Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
Uniondale, NY
Rosemary Pace Ed.D.
Co-Coordinator
Pax Christi New York State
New York, NY
Emily Rubino
Executive Director
Peace Action New York State
New York, NY
Diane Swords
Syracuse Peace Council
Syracuse, NY
Susan Kuehn
Convenor
Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition
Toledo, OH
Patricia Marida
Coordinator
Ohio Nuclear Free Network
Columbus, OH
Connie Hammond
Board Member
Progressive Peace Coalition
Columbus, OH
Peter Bergel
Nuclear Abolition Salem
Oregon PeaceWorks
Salem, OR
Roger Sabbadini
Co-Founder
The Vocal Seniority
Bend, OR
Robert M. Smith
Staff Organizer
Brandywine Peace Community
Philadelphia, PA
Boris Dirnbach
Action Group Leader
Havertown-Community Action Network [PA]
Philadelphia, PA
Nancy Tate
Coordinator
LEPOCO Peace Center (Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern)
Riegelsville, PA
Dr. Susan M Smith
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Pittsburgh Branch
Pittsburgh, PA
Jonathan Daly-LaBelle
Lead Organizer
No Endless War or Excessive Militarism
Westerly, RI
William Waters
Member
Pax Christi Rhode Island
Rumford, RI
Tom Clements
Director
Savannah River Site Watch
Columbia, SC
Trudy Wallack
Secretary
Erwin Citizens Awareness Network
Greeneville, TN
Bobbie Connelly
Clerk of Session
First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton
Elizabethton, TN
Carol Landis
GINI Board Member
Green Interfaith Network, Inc.
Johnson City, TN
Tanvi Kardile
Coordinator
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
Oak Ridge, TN
Jim Wohlgemuth
Veterans for Peace – the Hector Black Chapter
Nashville, TN
Karen Hadden
Executive Director
Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition
Austin, TX
Deb Sawyer
Coordinator
Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, UCAN
Salt Lake City, UT
William Boone
Co-Chair
Appalachian Peace Education Center
Meadowview, VA
Steve Baggarly
Norfolk Catholic Worker
Norfolk, VA
Lorie Cartwright
Trustee
New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution Inc
Brattleboro, VT
Debra Stoleroff
Steering Committee Chair
Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance
Montpelier, VT
Robert Huitt
Racial Equity & Network Manager
Greater Spokane Progress
Spokane, WA
Leonard Eiger
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action
Poulsbo, WA
Tracy W Powell
Founder
No More Bombs
La Conner, WA
Glen Anderson
Founder & Chairperson
Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Lacey, WA
Dennis Duffell
Coordinator
Pax Christi Northeast
Seattle, WA
Douglas Milholland
Facilitator
Port Townsend Nuclear Ban Study Team
Port Townsend, WA
Mary Hanson
Chair
Seattle Fellowship of Reconciliation
Seattle, WA
Hollis Higgins
Secretary
Veterans For Peace, Spokane Chapter #35
Spokane, WA
Bruce Amundson, MD
Board President
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Seattle, WA
Marcia Halligan
Kickapoo Peace Circle
Viroqua, WI
Kelly Lundeen
Co-Director
Nukewatch
Shell Lake, WI
Pamela Richard
Peace Action WI
Milwaukee, WI
Tim Dewane
JPIC Director
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province
Wauwatosa, WI
Bradley Geyer
Chapter Contact
Veterans for Peace Madison, Clarence Kailin Ch. 25
Sun Prairie, WI
