[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E472-E473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND ECONOMIC CONVERSION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 16, 2005

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I am again introducing the Nuclear 
Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act, NDECA, as I have done since 
1994. I have introduced this bill every year based on a ballot 
initiative passed by D.C. residents in 1993. NDECA will require the 
United States to disable and dismantle its nuclear weapons when all 
other nations possessing nuclear weapons enact laws to do the same. 
NDECA further provides that when U.S. nuclear weapons are dismantled, 
the resources used to support nuclear weapon programs would be diverted 
to our growing human and infrastructure needs, such as housing, health 
care, Social Security and the environment.
  This year's introduction of this bill has special meaning because 
this is the sixtieth anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki. Only the United States has used an atom bomb, but today the 
number of nations with this capability has grown dangerously and 
continues without effective intervention by the Bush administration.
  In addition to the economic cost of nuclear weapons, the weapons have 
increased as a destabilizing force in world affairs. North Korea, at 
least in part in response to stepped up aggressive talk and U.S. 
policies, has responded in a dangerously paranoid fashion by announcing 
that it is expanding its nuclear capabilities and even that it now has 
a nuclear weapon, although these claims have not been entirely 
verified. Iran also appears to be pursuing greater nuclear capability 
and is resisting inspections. India and Pakistan have moved back from 
the precipice of several years ago but each remains poised with nuclear 
weapons.
  This country must lead the world community in redoubling efforts to 
push back the new surge of nuclear proliferation. Our country would be 
better able to dissuade other nations who aspire to become or remain 
nuclear powers if we ourselves took greater initiative in dismantling 
our own nuclear weapons program. We moved in the right direction when 
the Senate ratified the Moscow Treaty in 2003, which provides that by 
2012 both the U.S. and Russia will reduce their long-range warheads two 
thirds from approximately 6,000 warheads each to 2,200. However, the 
administration has failed to build on this effort. According to a 
recent study, ``Securing The Bomb: An Agenda for Action'' May 2004; 
prepared by the Belfer Center, Harvard University Kennedy School of 
Government: ``Total nuclear-threat reduction spending remains less than 
one quarter of one percent of the U.S. military budget. Indeed, on 
average, the Bush administration requests for nuclear-threat reduction 
spending over FY 2002-2005 have been less, in real terms, than the last 
Clinton administration request, made long before the 9/11 attacks ever 
occurred.''
  However, the problem today is far more complicated than nuclear 
disarmament by nation states. The greatest threat today is from 
inadequately defended and guarded sites in many countries where there 
is enough material to make nuclear weapons and many opportunities for 
terrorists to secure nuclear materials. Astonishingly, because of the 
absence of Presidential leadership, less nuclear material was seized in 
the 2 years following the 9/11 attacks than in the 2 years immediately 
preceding the attacks (``Securing The Bomb: An Agenda for Action'', May 
2004).

  I serve on the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack 
Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee. I know that threats 
from nuclear proliferation and available nuclear material are more 
dangerous in the post 9/11 era than at any time since I first 
introduced this bill in 1994. The way to begin is closing down nuclear 
capability here and around the world.
  With 45 million people still without health insurance, Social 
Security without the benefits for the huge baby boomer generation, an 
economy burdened with a dangerous deficit, and millions of Americans 
pushed back into poverty during the last 4 years, the time has

[[Page E473]]

come to begin the transfer of nuclear weapons funds to urgent domestic 
needs.

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