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Women's Action for New Directions
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WAND 2003 Report and Statement on Two Critical Nuclear Weapons Decisions

(1) Cutting funding for the Nuclear Bunker Buster
(2) Maintaining the Ban on Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons

This year’s results are in.  WAND looks to 2004.

WAND has worked hard throughout 2003 to stop new nuclear weapons in both the FY04 defense authorization and the FY04 energy and water appropriations bills. House-Senate conference committees for each have now completed their work.  A summary of their actions follows:

BANNING LOW-YIELD NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Defense authorization conferees unfortunately decided to repeal the ban on low-yield nuclear weapons. Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse (D-OR), who served on WAND’s board of directors, achieved this ban in 1993 as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, along with Rep. John Spratt (D-SC). 
FUNDING FOR THE NUCLEAR BUNKER BUSTER
In the energy and water appropriations bill, the House had cut funding for a feasibility study of a nuclear version of the bunker buster weapon to $5 million. The Senate had fully funded the President’s $15 million request. Conferees agreed to cut the $15 million request to $7.5 million, a significant accomplishment for disarmament advocates.
WAND STATEMENT
Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) has worked for 20 years to educate Congress and the American people about the dangers of nuclear weapons. We regard the decision by the Defense Authorization Committee to eliminate the 1993 ban on low-yield nuclear weapons to be an egregious error.

Producing a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons increases the likelihood they will be used in conflict, breaking a taboo that has been in place since their use during World War II.  Developing new types of nuclear weapons sends the wrong message to other nations who may also view them as desirable. 

The ban has been lifted, but congressional approval is still required prior to development, testing or production of these dangerous weapons.  WAND will continue to work with Members of Congress, and WAND members and partners nationwide, to assure that activities leading to production of low-yield nuclear weapons never occur.