Dear Tri-Valley CAREs members and friends,
Here is a time-critical opportunity for you to influence the federal nuclear weapons budget.
Because the government did not shut down, the House scheduled vote for today and tomorrow on H.R. 4394, the House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. And, because they are now engulfed in a battle over the Speakership, that scheduled vote will not happen today. This opens up an opportunity for your valuable advocacy!
This bill funds all of the nuclear weapons work done by the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration at Livermore Lab and other sites in the nuclear weapons complex.
Unsurprisingly, the bill puts forth a huge spending increase for nuclear weapons activities and there is a lot that we oppose.
Thankfully, however, California Member of Congress John Garamendi has put forth two important amendments to the bill that should be supported by other Members. One of Garamendi’s amendments stops funding to expand plutonium pit production to the Savannah River Site, and the other prohibits funds for the W87-1 program at Livermore Lab that would put a new warhead on the new Sentinel land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Please call or email your Member of Congress AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to ask them to support these two amendments!
You can find your Representative here and check their webpage for email instructions. Or, call their DC office to leave a message about this vote. You can call the U.S. House Switchboard Operator to be connected to the right office – (202) 224-3121.
Let’s support Representative Garamendi’s efforts to constrain these dangerous nuclear weapon programs! Below is sample language for your call or email…
Dear Member of Congress,
My name is __________ and I live at ______________________. As your constituent, I make the following vote recommendations on amendments to H.R. 4394, the House Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024.
Vote YES on amendment,
#36 from Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), which prohibits funding for plutonium pit production at the Savannah River Site Plutonium Processing Facility.
- This amendment would stop funding at one of the two plutonium pit production sites the NNSA is developing. Despite repeated Congressional mandates, the NNSA still has not provided a detailed cost estimate and schedule for the goal of producing 80 pits per year by 2030, as highlighted by the General Accountability Office’s January 2023 report. NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby has admitted the agency cannot meet the 2030 deadline. Plutonium pit aging studies indicate that large-scale production of plutonium pits is not necessary, as existing pits will be reliable for decades to come.
Also vote YES on amendment,
#37 from Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), which prohibits funds for the W87-1 warhead program in order to enable additional analysis of the underlying program justifications, planning and budget.
- This amendment would pause funding for a new warhead being designed by Livermore Lab for the new Sentinel land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). ICBMs are expensive relics of an outdated Cold War strategy, vulnerable to attack and unneeded with the improvement of invulnerable sea-based weapons. ICBMs should be retired and plans for this new warhead for them shelved.
Thank you for your consideration,
(Your Name)
Note: If John Garamendi is your Member of Congress, please call or email to thank him for offering these amendments!
Thank you for all you do!
Scott, Raiza, Marylia, and the crew at TVC
