[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 66 (Thursday, April 20, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOLITION AND CONVERSION ACT OF 
                                  2023

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 20, 2023

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Nuclear Weapons 
Abolition and Conversion Act of 2023. This bill would require that, 
beginning on the date that the President certifies to Congress that all 
countries possessing nuclear weapons have begun the verifiable and 
irreversible elimination of such weapons under the Treaty on the 
Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Treaty), the United States redirect 
resources that are being used for nuclear weapons programs to be used 
for addressing the climate crisis and human and infrastructure needs, 
such as housing, health care and restoring the environment.
  In 1993, District of Columbia peace activists were successful in 
getting a ballot initiative in D.C. passed that called for nuclear 
disarmament. Every Congress since then, I have introduced a bill based 
on that initiative, including this bill. In March 2019, the D.C. 
Council passed a ``Sense of the Council'' resolution urging the United 
States to approve the Treaty. These actions show that D.C. residents 
were early, prescient leaders on this important issue. It seems that 
the rest of the world is, thankfully, starting to catch up to D.C.
  As the only Nation that has used nuclear weapons in war, and that 
still possesses one of the largest nuclear weapons arsenals, my bill 
would help the United States reestablish its moral leadership in the 
world by redirecting funds that would otherwise go to nuclear weapons 
to address the climate crisis and urgent domestic needs.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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