Sense of the Council Urging the Federal Government to Prevent Nuclear War Resolution of 2019
Introduced: January 22, 2019
Co-introducers: Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmembers Charles Allen, Anita Bonds, and Robert White
Summary: To declare the sense of the Council that the District of Columbia is committed to promoting the human rights and well-being of all its residents, workers, and visitors; and to call on the federal government to prevent nuclear war.
Councilmember Grosso's Introduction Statement:
Finally, Mr. Chairman I will be introducing the Sense of the Council Urging the Federal Government to Prevent Nuclear War Resolution of 2019 along with my colleagues Chairman Mendelson and Councilmembers Charles Allen, Anita Bonds, and Robert White.
For decades the idea of nuclear war seemed a relic of the past; however, just last year it appeared a nuclear conflict between the United States and North Korea was imminent.
In the wake of the departure of Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis—and the appointment of Acting Secretary, Patrick Shanahan, a man who possesses no military experience and just a year and a half in government, there is a growing unease across the country.
Perhaps most unsettling though, is the reality that President Trump has unchecked and complete authority to launch nuclear weapons based on his sole discretion.
The use of even a small fraction of nuclear weapons would cause worldwide climate disruption and global famine. A large-scale nuclear war would kill hundreds of millions of people and directly cause catastrophic environmental damage.
Now more than ever it is imperative that the federal government do all it can to prevent nuclear war and this resolution urges them to do just that by renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons, ending any president’s sole and unchecked authority to launch a nuclear attack, cancelling plans to replace the entire weapon arsenal with enhanced weaponry, and actively pursuing a verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
Through this resolution we declare our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents and visitors of the District of Columbia and we challenge the federal government to make this same commitment to the people of the United States of America.
Thank you Mr. Chairman and I welcome any co-sponsors.