PROPOSITION ONE COMMITTEE
PO BOX 27217, WASHINGTON, DC 20038 USA
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http://prop1.org -- (World-Wide-Web)

______________________________________________________________________

January 16, 2001

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton - Fax: 225-3002

Dear Ms. Norton,

We congratulate you on your fifth term in Congress, and look forward to the re-introduction of your "Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act" again in 2001.

We believe it is especially important that you will continue to be a voice of conscience and reason during the next two years.

President-elect Bush's father said to us in March, 1992, "We share your views on nuclear weapons."  Perhaps that wasn't just election-year rhetoric, and perhaps his son feels the same way. Your legislation will place the issue on the table in an important way.

In our lobbying and educating on behalf of HR-2545 the past two years, people were particularly responsive to the phrase, describing economic conversion: "for example, building solar panels, windmills, and hydrogen fuel cells instead of missiles, bombs, and guns."  Would you be willing to add that clause to the the new bill?  Please see attached proposed bill, new clause in bold type.

This month is the tenth anniversary of the bombing of Iraq with depleted uranium weapons -- a new "weapon of mass destruction," which your bill legislates against.  There will be actions against depleted uranium weapons here in D.C. this week.  We would be pleased to tell people you're introducing the "Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act" again, now, because of your concern about the proliferation of radioactive weapons.  Please advise us when you would like to introduce the bill, so we can help arrange publicity? 

My husband, Thomas, and I were very sorry to miss your DC voting rights rally a couple of weeks ago.  Thomas was hit by a car on December 29th and in the hospital with a badly fractured ankle.  Otherwise we would have attended.  Please let us know if there will be another!

Sincerely,

Ellen Thomas

Attachment:  Proposed Bill


Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act of 2001

(Introduced in the House)

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

107th CONGRESS

1st Session

A BILL

To provide for nuclear disarmament and economic conversion in accordance with District of Columbia Initiative Measure Number 37 of 1993.

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 2001".

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 enviromnental restoration (for example, building solar panels, windmills, and hydrogen fuel cells instead of missiles, bombs, and guns);

(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 global 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.

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