WAND Legislative Priorities, Accomplishments in the 109th Congress

November 2006
WAND keeps track, keeps tabs, and keeps taking action!

While the winds of change may blow in a slightly different direction on Capitol Hill soon, WAND will keep on pursuing many of the same goals as always: a new approach to foreign policy, a shift in federal budget priorities, the end of nuclear weapons. Only we hope the atmosphere will be more welcoming...

A quick roundup of our focus in the 109th Congress:

FEDERAL BUDGET | WAND organized a sign-on letter, signed by 70 national and regional groups, to the House and Senate calling for redirecting the increase in the Pentagon budget to human needs. WiLL led a letter signed by 155 state legislators asking to shift this increase to non-military security — such as emergency preparedness and preventing nuclear terrorism.

WAND continues to promote the Unified Security Budget, written by Miriam Pemberton (Institute for Policy Studies) and Larry Korb (Center for Defense Information). It integrates the offensive, defensive, and preventive elements of our national defense. To confront the reality of today’s national security environment, we must look beyond the usual arguments over military hardware and direct more funds to programs ranging from energy and homeland security to nonproliferation and diplomacy.

The Common Sense Budget Act (HR 4898) was introduced in the House of Representatives. It continues to attract grassroots interest and gain cosponsors.

BALANCED SECURITY/ALTERNATIVES TO WAR | SMART Security (H.Con.Res. 158 in the 109th) will be introduced again in the 110th Congress by Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA). WAND and Physicians for Social Responsibility initiated the legislation and continue to work with Rep. Woolsey to garner support.

Popular opinion does appear to be shifting toward a less militaristic approach to foreign policy. WAND worked with the 3-D Campaign (defense, diplomacy, and development) to field a poll in October; bottom line was “large majorities of Americans feel that the United States puts too much emphasis on military force and unilateral action. Most say they want their member of Congress to work to shift the emphasis of U.S. foreign policy in favor of diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, and homeland security.” (www.worldpublicopinion.org). WAND will be working to turn some of these views of the American public into federal policy in the next Congress and beyond.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS | The nuclear bunker buster (aka Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator) was not in the President’s FY07 budget request after Congress denied funding for it the prior two years. Funding for preventing nuclear terrorism was increased above the President’s request level in both the House and Senate.

Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) and new bomb plant: Congress more than doubled the funding for the RRW from its FY06 level, to $52 million. The RRW is a program to replace nuclear warheads and could lead to the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing. According to the Department of Energy, the new bomb plant would “restore us to a level of capability comparable to what we had during the Cold War.” WAND will continue to work against these in the 110th Congress.

IRAN | WAND helped to prevent new sanctions from being applied to Iran; but the decision was reversed with the unexpected adoption of a watered-down version of the Iran Freedom Support Act the night Congress recessed for elections. It added new sanctions and authorized funds for regime change. We are working to prevent military action against Iran.

SPACE WEAPONS | $5.7 million was included in the FY07 defense bills for the use of a laser against a satellite, which appears to be a test of an antisatellite weapon, aka an ASAT. Additional funding for offensive activities such as this are expected in the FY08 budget request.