People in Target Nuclear Weapons Blast Zones Meet with Members of Congress

Seattle, WA - Between rising concerns over North Korea, tensions between India and Pakistan, and the Trump administration's push for new weapons systems we have seen a growing concern about the risk of catastrophic nuclear war. We also have seen volunteers stepping up at the local level to push our elected officials to be more responsible about our nation's nuclear weapons policy. In April our volunteers met with Representatives Larsen, Jayapal, Newhouse and Smith and Senators Murray and Cantwell to talk about these issues. A particularly important meeting was with Congressman Smith, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, and possibly the most powerful man in the country when it comes to conversations about nuclear weapons and nuclear war.

Volunteers like Mona Lee, who owns the property which is closest to the highest concentration of nuclear weapons in the world, Bangor Base which is where Ground Zero Center for Non Violent Action is located. Or with volunteers like Bruce Amundson who has been fighting nuclear weapons as the greatest health threat to humanity, as a physician activist for the last 50 years. Activists like David Anitok, from the Marshall Islands also participated to advocate that Congress right the wrongs of the past by passing an amendment to Medicaid to include Marshall Islanders whose islands were bombed 67 times in WWII Nuclear Weapons tests to finally get access to health care .

They, along with volunteers from across the state have been working with the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility locally, and at the state level, on bills like SJM 8006 and HJM 4008 which urge "Congress to take appropriate steps to move back from the brink of nuclear war." Volunteers like Bruce Amundson know that we cannot wait on leaders in DC when the issue is so important.