(OCTOBER 11—WASHINGTON) Former Congressman John Tierney, Executive Director of Council for a Livable World, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear threats through advocacy and political engagement, released the following statement on behalf of the Board of Directors:
“I applaud the Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, a group of survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who have dedicated their lives to ensuring no one else experiences the horrific destruction of nuclear weapons,” Tierney said. “More than 79 years since the United States used these weapons against Japan, there are still far too many nuclear weapons.
“Tireless diplomats and activists like Nihon Hidankyo have helped reduce the global nuclear arsenal from about 70,000 at its Cold War peak to about 12,000 today, but there is still much left to do. Global leaders must prioritize negotiation of new arms control agreements to reduce and eventually eliminate the world’s arsenals. This is a legal obligation under the Nonproliferation Treaty. Congress must stop writing blank checks to the Pentagon, especially when they are unable to justify reckless, unnecessary and costly new weapons systems. Congress must also extend and expand help to the thousands of Americans harmed by U.S. nuclear weapons production and testing. And the public must wake up to the critical reality that we are careening toward a new nuclear arms race if we don’t take the necessary measures to stop it.
“With less than four weeks to go before the most consequential election of my lifetime, Americans must heed the message of the Nobel Committee: nuclear weapons must never be used again. As voters, we have the power to elect leaders who will prioritize diplomacy over conflict and sound policy over reactionary escalation. We must demand that our leaders actively seek to reduce nuclear threats. A new nuclear war is not inevitable. We have the power to decrease nuclear risks at the ballot box, and we owe it to Nihon Hidankyo and all other nuclear survivors to do so.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Schumann, Communications Director, aschumann@clw.org
