Urge Congress to pass “No First Use” legislation to restrict nuclear war

January 30, 2019 GlenAnderson International Affairs (Click to see specific nations and regions), Judicial and Constitutional, Nuclear Weapons, Peace (See Foreign Policy and specific nations and regions -- and ALSO see Military Spending and Nuclear Weapons) 0

SUPPORT the “No First Use” bills. S.200 and H.R. 669 are companions.

Senator Markey and Rep. Lieu introduced Senate and House legislation that would limit Trump’s (or any subsequent president’s) ability to launch nuclear weapons. Their legislation would prohibit any U.S. President from launching a nuclear first strike without a declaration of war by Congress. The U.S. Constitution explicitly states that only Congress can declare war, but since 1945 presidents have claimed the de facto power to start the most horribly destructive war possible without any congressional approval, and Congress has allowed that unconstitutional power to persist. We must restore the Constitution – especially now during the Trump era. The “No First Use” legislation was introduced as S.200 and H.R. 669 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/669?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22669%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=3), the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act, with 42 original co-sponsors. We need more co-sponsors and more members of Congress to vigorously support these bills.

Washingtonians can urge Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to co-sponsor and vigorously support S. 200 or Representative Denny Heck to co-sponsor and vigorously support H.R. 669:

Sen. Patty Murray:  E-mail through www.murray.senate.gov or phone Washington DC at (202) 224-2621 or TOLL-FREE 1-866-481-9186 or Seattle at (206) 553-5545

Sen. Maria Cantwell:  E-mail through www.cantwell.senate.gov or phone Washington DC at (202) 224-3441 or Seattle at (206) 220-6400

Contact Denny Heck by e-mailing through his website, www.dennyheck.house.gov or phoning him in Washington DC at  (202) 225-9740 or in Lacey at (360) 459-8514

 

SUPPORT Representative Adam Smith’s slightly different “No First Use” bill, and Senator Elizabeth Warren’s companion bill.  They were introduced on January 30, 2019.

A different “No First Use” bill from Representative Adam Smith (D, WA-9th Cong. Dist.), the new chair of the House Armed Services Committee) will be introduced soon. Look for it and urge our U.S. Representatives (Denny Heck or whoever represents you) to co-sponsor and vigorously support it.

 

 

About GlenAnderson 1515 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org