October, 11 2017, 01:45pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Paul Kawika Martin, pmartin@peace-action.org, Gabe Murphy, gmurphy@peaceaction.org
Peace Action: Any Nuclear Weapons Expansion is a Terrible Idea - Tenfold Increase is Ludicrous
WASHINGTON
In response to reports that President Trump wanted a tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement:
"Already, the estimated $1.5 trillion cost of rebuilding U.S. nuclear warheads and their delivery systems is unaffordable and sends a message to the world that the U.S. is ignoring its obligations to disarm under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Given the cost to taxpayers and our nation's security brought on by the last nuclear arms race, building any new nuclear weapons is a terrible idea. A tenfold increase is simply ludicrous.
"The cost of a tenfold increase would be astronomical and would take funds away from real security needs and other taxpayer priorities like job creation, education and infrastructure. Even the hawkish Congress would reject a ridiculous increase in U.S. nuclear weapons because they know the U.S. can't afford it, it would make Americans less safe, could cause another nuclear arms race and would inflame tensions with North Korea and other countries."
Peace Action is the United States' largest peace and disarmament organization with over 100,000 members and nearly 100 chapters in 34 states, works to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs and encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights.
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