Washington DC – May 7, 2014 – News Release – Lt. General (USA ret.) Robert Gard, the former president of National Defense University, and members of Council for a Livable World delivered more than 5,800 signatures to Appropriations Committee member, Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05).
“Over the next decade, the United States is set to spend hundreds of billions of dollars upgrading a nuclear weapons arsenal that matters less and less for our national security. Instead of directing our tax dollars to a nuclear weapon stockpile that no longer meets our security needs, we should make smart investments in our national defense that will meet our 21st century fiscal and strategic needs,� said Rep. Quigley.
The petition is part of the Council’s effort to raise awareness concerning the budget-busting effects of the nuclear weapons complex on funding for national security and nuclear terrorism prevention programs.
“Rep. Quigley has used his position on the powerful Appropriations Committee to fight for the people of Illinois and to advocate for good government and an end to wasteful spending,� said Lt. General Gard. “Over the next decade, our Cold War-era nuclear weapons complex is going to cost taxpayers $570 billion while other critical programs go unfunded or underfunded.�
The most recent estimation by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows the U.S. is likely to spend $570 billion on the nuclear weapons complex from 2014-2023. An additional report from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) found the U.S. will likely spent a trillion dollars over the next thirty years to replace the three legs of the nuclear triad.
Recent statements to Congress by Energy Secretary Moniz have shown the NNSA has prioritized nuclear modernization over nuclear terrorism and non-proliferation programs. In the Fiscal Year 2015 President’s budget request, the three core nuclear non-proliferation received twenty-five plus percent cuts; the third year in a row for such reductions.
“In an era of tight budgets, it seems the nuclear weapons complex is immune to the cuts impacting other national security and human needs programs,� said John Isaacs, executive director of Council for a Livable World. “These budget-busting weapons are outdated and have limited utility in today’s geopolitical environment yet the U.S. is spending more and more instead of redirecting spending to more useful programs.�
Council for a Livable World has never endorsed or fundraised for Rep. Quigley. Photos of the event are available by contacting James Lewis.
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Council for a Livable World is a non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to increasing national security, particularly through reducing of the danger of nuclear weapons proliferation. The Council advocates for a strong and sensible national security policy and helps elect congressional candidates supporting those ideals.
