Please Support HR-2647,
the "Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act of 2003"

July 4, 2003

Proposition One Committee - http://prop1.org

On June 26, 2003, U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton re-introduced the "Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act" for the sixth time.  You can read about prior introductions at http://prop1.org/prop1/

The new Bill number is HR-2647
.  It will be assigned to Committees, each of which will need to be
lobbied for passage without markups or deletions, so that the entire
House and Senate can vote on the bill as it stands.  You can keep up
with the progress of the bill by going to http://thomas.loc.gov and
requesting the information on HR-2647.

The text of the legislation follows.  We urge you to contact your
Congressional leaders (House and Senate) and ask for their support. We
make it easy to write your legislators at
http://prop1.org/prop1/letter.htm  Since this is an election year, you
should also contact all presidential candidates both through email (see
http://nucnews.net for candidates' websites), and by asking questions
when the candidates campaign in your neighborhood.  It's really
important to be active in this presidential campaign.  We humans might
not survive another Bush administration.

We urge you to send a fax or call Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to
thank her for re-introducing this legislation for the sixth time, and
thus living up to her promise in 1994.  Few legislators can claim the same.

Text:

Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act of 2003

(Introduced in US House of Representatives June 26, 2003)

http://thomas.loc.gov = HR-2647

HR 2647 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2647

To provide for nuclear disarmament and economic conversion in accordance
with District of Columbia Initiative Measure Number 37 of 1992.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 26, 2003

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on
International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To provide for nuclear disarmament and economic conversion in accordance
with District of Columbia Initiative Measure Number 37 of 1992.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Nuclear Disarmament and Economic
Conversion Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND ECONOMIC CONVERSION.

The United States Government shall--

(1) disable and dismantle all its nuclear weapons and refrain from
replacing them at any time with any weapons of mass destruction;

(2) redirect resources that are currently being used for nuclear weapons
programs to use--

(A) in converting all nuclear weapons industry employees, processes,
plants, and programs smoothly to constructive, ecologically beneficial
peacetime activities during the 3 years following the effective date of
this Act, and

(B) in addressing human and infrastructure needs such as housing, health
care, education, agriculture, and environmental restoration, including
alternative fuel sources;

(3) undertake vigorous good faith efforts to eliminate war, armed
conflict, and all military operations; and

(4) actively promote policies to induce all other countries to join in
these commitments for world peace and security.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This Act shall take effect when the President certifies to the Congress
that all foreign countries possessing nuclear weapons have established
legal requirements comparable to those set forth in section 2 and those
requirements have taken effect.

~~

[Final note:  When this idea was voted on by the savvy and diverse
citizens of Washington, DC, in 1993, as Voter Initiatve 37 (see
http://prop1.org/prop1/), voters were heard to say when exiting the
polls, "How could I vote against it?"  Tell your legislators you feel
the same way.  If they don't listen, then bring it to the voters
yourself in a voter initiative.  We can help you - call 202-682-4282 if
you decide this is something you want to do.  No charge, just
requirement that you MEAN it.  et]