Lois Barber
December 2013 - After many delays and complications, Congress is now working on the federal budget for FY2014, and one of the final issues to be resolved is defense spending. Reductions in funding for nuclear weapons should be included in any budget they produce. Here is why.
In the mid-1990’s the Department of Energy embarked upon “Life Extension Programs” (LEPs) to refurbish and extend the “shelf life” of existing nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, this program has evolved into an exceedingly costly and complicated program to replace the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Specifically, over the next 25 years the DOE is proposing to develop five new designs for nuclear weapons at an estimated cost of at least $60 billion. With expected cost overruns, the final cost would likely be much greater. For example, the first newly designed weapon, the B61 bomb, was expected to cost $4 billion, but now will be as much as $11 billion.
At the same time, nuclear weapons play a decreasing role in U.S. security. Given the massive conventional capabilities of the U.S. military, and the threats of nuclear terrorism or a catastrophic accident, it is clear that nuclear weapons are more of a liability for the United States than an asset. Safely maintaining a small nuclear stockpile as long as other countries have such weapons is more than enough to preserve U.S. security.
American taxpayers do not need to support a massive investment in nuclear weapons.
Contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to cut spending on nuclear weapons in any proposed budget. Tell them that nuclear weapons do little to address 21st-century threats facing the United States. We simply cannot afford to keep paying for weapons that are not cost effective and that ultimately make us-and the world-less safe.
CONTACT:
YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVE
Web: www.senate.gov & www.house.gov
Tel: 202 224-3121 (Capitol switchboard)
Mail: Senator or Representative
(first & last name)
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Photo Credit: Lillyhouse creek, 1972, Lois Barber
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