Senate Passes New START TreatyToday, the United States Senate approved the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) reducing the vast U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons arsenals and taking a critical step toward increasing international security. This is a tremendous victory. It comes on the heels of months of tireless advocacy by UCS and our supporters to garner support for this important international agreement, and grows out of more than 40 years of UCS leadership on this critical issue. The treaty will reduce each country's deployed strategic nuclear arsenals by approximately one-third—to no more than 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 delivery vehicles. It will lay the ground work for further steps to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world, prevent other countries or terrorists from acquiring these dangerous weapons, and make the world safer. New START is a victory for bipartisanship and reflects a clear post-Cold War understanding that nuclear weapons are a security liability and don't protect Americans against today's threats. Since the treaty was signed in Prague last April, tens of thousands of citizens and scientists have pressured the Senate to approve it—through phone calls, letter writing, community discussions, scientist statements, letters to the editor, and other advocacy efforts. This campaign has sparked a new national conversation about the role of nuclear weapons in global security and UCS is proud to have played a major role in this effort. Thank you for your help in making this important victory possible. The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. To subscribe or visit go to: http://www.ucsusa.org |