On July 9 the U.S. Senate voted to open Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert to tens of thousands of tons of radioactive nuclear waste. Earlier, the House of Representatives had also voted to approve the site. WAND and WiLL, together with many environmental and public interest groups, worked to convince Congress that Yucca Mountain is not a suitable storage facility for the nation’s high-level nuclear waste. The site is sacred to the Western Shoshone and Pauite peoples; moreover, it was never deeded to the U.S. government. And on June 14, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale struck fifteen miles east of Yucca Mountain, underscoring the geological vulnerability of the site. The decision affects not only Nevada but also 42 other states through which nuclear waste will be transported en route to Yucca Mountain. In late June, the full Senate passed the defense authorization bill for 2003, restoring $814.3 million to be used for either national missile defense (NMD) or combating terrorism. The Armed Services Committee, chaired by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), had previously cut that money from the $7.8 billion total for NMD. In a major victory, the Senate did not restore the $15.5 million to study a “useable” nuclear weapon—the Armed Services Committee cut the funding for that study before the full vote occurred. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives continues to support the Bush administration’s efforts and refuses to adopt a ban on the use of nuclear-tipped interceptors that are part of a proposed NMD system. WAND is working with Congressman Ed Markey (MA-7) and activist groups to promote the Urgent Call to End the Nuclear Danger. This manifesto and its associated petition are intended to incite the public to become informed and active about nuclear issues. WAND advisory board member Randall Forsberg is a leader in the organizing effort around the Urgent Call. Visit www.urgentcall.org to sign the call. WAND applauds President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the signing of a treaty to reduce each country’s nuclear stockpile. The treaty makes room for the expansion of arms-control initiatives by destroying the weapons that will be disassembled. Although that is Russia’s preference, the U.S. plans merely to store its dismantled warheads. WAND encourages the strengthening of the treaty while supporting the overall objective of reducing stockpiles of nuclear weapons in both countries.
It is an event 23 years in the making, but the stage is finally set for the ratification of the Treaty for the Rights of Women (formally known as the Convention on Ending All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, or CEDAW). On June 13, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held an historic hearing on the treaty, which is the only international agreement that comprehensively addresses the human rights and equality of women. Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE, chairman of the committee) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have championed this issue by holding hearings and pushing for Senate ratification. In the coming weeks, the treaty will need a 2/3 majority vote on the Senate floor for ratification. Even as CEDAW regains momentum, vocal opposition groups are attempting to erode the crucial bipartisan support necessary for ratification. Additionally, the Bush administration has not fully supported ratification, causing many Republicans to waver on the issue. The state department has classified CEDAW as “generally desirable,” but has twice refused to send anyone to testify before Biden’s committee, arguing that the treaty is under review by the justice department. This summer presents the best chance for ratification in decades. Tell your senators that you want them to support the rights of women by voting to ratify CEDAW. Call the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121.
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