NOTE: This alert is similar to alerts that have been issued by many peace organizations in November and December. Most of the material in this alert is from the Friends Committee for National Legislation (the Quaker lobby) and the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
ACTION:
Urge KY Senators To Vote to Ratify the START Treaty
WHEN:
Immediately - Vote in December
MESSAGE:
Please vote to ratify the START Treaty. (For McConnell: Please let the Senate vote on the START treaty.)
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Senator Mitch McConnell
Phone: 202-224-2541
Senator Jim Bunning
Phone: 202-224-4343
Click here to go to Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's site to send Senators McConnell and Bunning an email message.
BRIEF BACKGROUND:
The original Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the U.S. and Russia expired on December 5, 2009. For nearly one year, there has been no monitoring of Russian nuclear activities or stockpile. Two key members of the Senate, Sen. McConnell of Kentucky and Sen. Kyl of Arizona, are preventing the New START agreement from coming before the full Senate for ratification.
Click here to read a detailed background on the START treaty.
Why Ratify the NEW START Treaty:
Some of us had hoped for more drastic reductions. Why is START important?
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It will reduce tensions between the two largest nuclear powers in the world by allowing both countries to inspect the other country's nuclear arsenal.
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With the expiration in December 2009 of the first START treaty, inspections and verifications have stopped. Those inspections can resume as soon as the new START is ratified.
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It will reduce the number of deployed nuclear weapons in both of our countries, from 2,200 to 1,550 each.
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If our Senate fails to ratify START, prospects dim for future ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Senator Mitch McConnell
Phone: 202-224-2541
Senator Jim Bunning
Phone: 202-224-4343
Co-sponsors:
Other organizations calling for ratification of the New START Treaty:
Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers)
Federation of American Scientists
Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
Council for a Livable World
Nuclear Strategy Initiative, New America Foundation
Arms Control Association
Union of Concerned Scientists
Natural Resources Defense Council
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:
