Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-Silicon Valley) have introduced a bill to defund the Pentagon’s development of a new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and Livermore Lab’s development of a wholly new warhead that would sit atop the missile.
The Bill is called the “Investing in Cures Before Missiles (ICBM) Act.”
Instead of investing in a new and lethal ICBM, called the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile, this legislation would send the money instead to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund development of a universal coronavirus vaccine to save lives.
Further, the bill redirects funds from Livermore’s W87-1 warhead to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention to research and combat emerging infectious diseases.
The bill would also prevent any new funding for the GBSD missile or W87-1 warhead in the fiscal year 2022 federal budget.
The bill number in the Senate is S.982.
Alongside Ed Markey, Senators Chris Van Hollen, Bernie Sanders, and Jeff Merkley are co-sponsors. Our California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are not yet on the bill. Please call and/or email their offices and ask them to co-sponsor this important measure to enhance our real security.
In the House it’s H.R.2227.
Alongside Ro Khanna, CA Representatives Barbara Lee and Jared Huffman are co-sponsors. If one of them is your Rep., please thank him or her. Otherwise, please call and/or write your member of Congress and ask him or her to co-sponsor the bill. And, don’t forget to say that you would like a response, including any action your Rep. takes on this bill.
Additional co-sponsors of H.R.2227 to date are Rep. James McGovern, Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal, Earl Blumenauer, Steve Cohen, Raul Grijalva, Jesus Garcia, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
More information can be obtained at congress.gov.
CLICK HERE for a one-page “ICBM Act” factsheet from Rep. Ro Khanna and Senator Ed Markey.
CLICK HERE for the text of the “ICBM Act.” Text is the same for S.982 and H.R.2227.
