The U.S. Assassination of Major General Qassem Suleimani Underscores the Urgent Need to Reenter the Iran Deal
Statement from Physicians for Social Responsibility National Executive Director, Jeff Carter
“The United States can and must pursue critical diplomatic measures to prevent war with Iran.
Physicians for Social Responsibility urges the Trump administration to consult with Congress before engaging in any further offensive attack anywhere in and around the Persian Gulf, and to re-enter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). An armed conflict between the United States and Iran would likely be a humanitarian catastrophe.
What’s more, the assassination of Suleimani has brought the world closer to a nuclear conflict, for two reasons:
First, this escalation of hostilities could be interpreted as a declaration of war. War is full of uncertainty, and could draw in others besides the U.S. and Iran, including nuclear-armed countries such as Israel and Russia.
Second, in 2018, the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, an agreement that was working as planned to effectively and verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The assassination of Suleimani will likely bolster the arguments of those in Iran who advocate for Iran to work harder and faster to obtain them.”
This is how civilizations collapse from within
By Bruce Amundson, Vice President, WPSR
In December, Congress passed the 2020 military spending act, a grotesque $738 billion bill representing even $30 billion more than last year. Pentagon spending in 2019 is actually higher than it was at the peak of either the Korean or Vietnam conflicts. As fear of terrorism generated by the 9/11 attacks set the stage for 18 years of ill-advised military adventures, we have witnessed the relentless expansion of the military budget and, at least as disconcerting, the militarization of our foreign policy and our diplomatic face to the world.
The end of the Cold War resulted in the rarest of things: real cuts in the Pentagon budget. They hit hard enough that the weapons industry was forced into a series of mega-mergers, leaving only 5 major defense contractors, one of which is Boeing. These five firms now split roughly $100 billion in Pentagon contracts annually.
Why has it been so hard to reduce the Pentagon budget, regardless of the global security environment? The brute power of the arms industry lobby together with the seductive allure of military-industrial jobs in most Congressional districts have proved to cement the power of the military-industrial-congressional complex to continue to pour ever-increasing dollars into the defense budget.
The military itself has blindly adhered to a strategy of global dominance that’s essentially been on autopilot, no matter the damaging consequences of near-endless wars and preparations for more of them. In Africa, for example, our dominant presence in over 30 nations is the military, not our diplomatic corps.
Spending on the US nuclear weapons program further illustrates the problem. In spite of tenacious efforts by Washington Rep. Adam Smith, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, to introduce an amendment to the 2020 military bill to rein in spending on a dangerous new so-called low-yield nuclear warhead for the Bangor-based Trident submarines, this amendment was stripped out in the Senate.
As an organization of health professionals, here is what we see: the most urgent threats to the safety of the planet and to human health today are an overheating planet, nuclear war, epidemics, poverty and destructive levels of inequality. None of these threats can even remotely be addressed by military means.
The militarization of our face to the world together with the squandering of trillions of dollars that could do so much good for this country have implications for every resident and city in this land, a country awash in unmet human needs and crumbling infrastructure.
It’s time citizens insist that our elected officials stop this madness. This is how civilizations collapse from within.
$738 billion dollar military budget includes funding to deploy "Gateway Nuclear Weapons"
In moves with potentially horrific consequences, Congress is supporting the Trump administration’s push to escalate America’s ability to start and fight a nuclear war—making a nuclear holocaust more likely—and fully funding the administration’s request to go on a nuclear weapons buying spree. These choices make American less safe.
Foremost among the dangerous aspects of this bill is its support for the deployment of the Trump administration’s new W76-2 nuclear warhead—a lower yield Trident submarine weapon designed to make potential adversaries believe the United States will use it. These weapons are a gateway to nuclear catastrophe.
WPSR congratulates House Democrats, who made a valiant effort to push back against this dangerous line of thinking. Under the leadership of House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith, the House NDAA barred deployment of the dangerous W76-2 warhead and made a number of sensible but modest cuts to the full-scale nuclear arsenal replacement plan.
By deploying the W76-2, the United States will tell Russia and the rest of the world that the Trump administration believes a limited nuclear war can be fought and remain controlled. Such thinking is dangerous in the extreme. Once the nuclear threshold has been crossed, no one can have any confidence that the conflict will not escalate to large-scale nuclear use. And in an all-out war between the United States and Russia, tens of millions would die in a few hours. Climate effects from the soot put into the atmosphere by these weapons could kill many millions more worldwide due to severe food shortages.
Beyond that, the final NDAA provides full funding for every element of the Trump administration’s $1.7 trillion, 30-year plan to replace the entire current, oversized nuclear arsenal with a host of more lethal weapons.
The NDAA does nothing to rein in out-of-control military spending, prevent unconstitutional war against Iran, or prevent the deployment of gateway nuclear weapons.
But House and Senate Republicans unequivocally supported every piece of the Trump administration’s dangerous nuclear weapons plan. Their full-throated endorsement is ramping up the growing nuclear arms race with Russia. Regrettably, Senate Democrats did not join their House colleagues in united opposition to the administration’s plans. As a result, nearly every positive step taken by the House was reversed.
In view of the failure of safe and sane nuclear weapons amendments to pass the final bill, all members of Congress should carefully consider their vote on the NDAA. Will this be a vote to oppose a new nuclear arms race, to oppose weapons that make fighting a nuclear war easier, and to support a more secure, less dangerous world? Or will this be a vote to further expand our nuclear arsenals and accelerate the nuclear arms race?
Senate Joint Memorial on Preventing Nuclear war to be reintroduced
Oct 2019 UPDATE:
The WA House and Senate Joint Memorial on preventing nuclear war will be reintroduced in the 2020 legislative session, providing a new opportunity to pass legislation that voices our state’s staunch opposition to the production, deployment, and use of nuclear weapons. Stay tuned for ways you can support this bill and make sure our state’s stance on nuclear weapons is known.
Feb 2019:
Washington Against Nuclear Weapons had a great day on Friday, February 22nd. We are delighted that the Senate State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee voted in favor of Senate Joint Memorial 8006, which now sends it to the Rules Committee.
Ten individuals representing Washington Against Nuclear Weapons and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility testified in support of SJM 8006, a measure that – if passed – would send a request to President Trump and the leaders of both houses of Congress to take specific actions to pull our country back from the brink of nuclear war.
We are grateful to Sen. Hasegawa for introducing SJM 8006 and to Rep. Tarleton who introduced HJM 4008 in the House. We are also grateful to the co-sponsors of these Memorials. And we are especially grateful to all of the individuals who attended Friday’s hearing, testified in support of SJM 8006, and/or contacted their legislators urging support of this measure.
One memorable moment on Friday was Senator Hasegawa’s introduction of SJM 8006 to the Committee. When he mentioned the large collection of nuclear weapons housed in Washington State at Bangor, the gasp in the crowded room was audible. That gasp reminds us of what an important opportunity this is to educate our fellow Washingtonians about the immense risk we face. Onward in the quest for a safer future!
WPSR Endorses NO on I-976
WPSR strongly opposes the I-976 ballot initiative. This new Tim Eyman’s Initiative, which will go to votes on November 5th, would devastate the region’s transportation system, which is under strain an in need of continued investment that will allow it to improve, and grow to serve our growing region and the needs of those who most rely on our transportation infrastructure. That includes everyone, even drivers.
This initiative would massively cut funding - by repealing funding provisions that have already been approved - for a wide range of road, rail, and transit projects, all across the state. Cutting this funding will impact everyone’s safety, and destroy our infrastructure that connects people to each other and to their places of work.
Learn more, spread the word, and take action with us! https://www.no976.org/
WPSR's Summer 2019 Newsletter
Click anywhere to view the full, interactive version of our recent newsletter.
Shortgevity and the Road Back to a Longer, Healthier Life
by Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, Chair, WPSR Economic Inequity & Health Task Force
(Photo: Dean Chahim/Flickr/cc)
Most people are concerned with their health. We are bombarded with what to do to keep ourselves healthy as individuals. What if that is not sufficient? What if the society in which we live matters more for our health than what we do to keep ourselves healthy?
The health of people in a country can be measured by how long they live, life expectancy. Calculating this requires only that you know when someone is born and when they die. All rich countries and many not-so-rich calculate this yearly. Many mortality rates can similarly be calculated from this information.
This century, the United States stands with Syria as the countries where mortality is going up and life expectancy is going down. Last century this happened suddenly in Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and in high AIDS-prevalent countries in Africa.
Since 2015 life expectancy has declined here every year instead of continuing to increase. If health had continued to improve as expected, the excess deaths we’ve experienced is equivalent to eradicating deaths from motor vehicle crashes, other accidents, and homicide. Our health decline is huge and yet Americans are mostly unaware of this carnage.
Maternal mortality, deaths of women from childbirth-related causes, has risen 50% in the last 15 years. Back in 1951-53, we had the lowest rates of such deaths in the world. Now almost 60 nations surpass us. Adult mortality, ages 25 to 64, is similarly rising for all racial-ethnic groups in this country.
Why is this happening? We are not at war. There is an opioid death epidemic but it explains only a small part of this seeming slaughter. Much evidence suggests our increasing income and wealth inequality is a major part of this process, similar to what happened in Russia after the breakup only here the increase has been gradual over decades rather than happening suddenly there. Our income inequality continues to increase despite many people saying this is not good for us.
The other finger points to a lack of support for early life. Only two countries in the world do not grant a working pregnant woman paid time off after she has her baby. One is, of course, the United States, and the other is Papua New Guinea. We have the most child poverty of all rich nations. Our government spends for remedial action on failing students, rather than putting resources towards early life. For example, Sweden, one of the world’s longest-lived countries, spends more government money in the first year of life than in any subsequent year. Early life expenditures have a great return on investment compared to those repairing broken men and women.
While access to good medical care is important, it is not the driver of these fatalities. We spend more on health care than the rest of the world combined. Similarly for many health-related behaviors. We have among the lowest rates of cigarette smoking of all rich nations. Japan, the longest-lived has more than twice as many men smoking per capita than we do.
Our health decline is not on the list of presidential issues that are being discussed and debated. This was also the case after the 2013 Institute of Medicine report with the title that said it all before our health decline. “U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health.” Things are considerably worse now. This needs to become a national issue. It is much more important than Medicare for All or other such discussed programs. Yes, universal health care needs to be enacted but it won’t treat our health decline.
WPSR, through it's Economic Inequity Program, is taking on the responsibility of bringing these ideas to light, to eradicate shortgevity and get us back on the road to a longer healthier life. Creating awareness of a problem is always the first step. Then we need to change the economic structure of our society so there is more economic justice, and in turn, better health.
WPSR Statement of Support for Health Justice for the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Her Excellency Dr. Hilda Heine, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) discussing the Strategy for Nuclear Justice presented by the RMI’s National Nuclear Commission to the President and her Cabinet. Five of the co-authors of this statement participated in this presentation and discussion.
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) has a long history of organizing against the threats to human health caused by nuclear weapons and nuclear war. As a physician-based organization, this WPSR statement acknowledges the profound health impacts experienced by the people of the Marshall Islands as a direct result of U.S. nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War, and calls on our organization, network, and policymakers to support the Marshallese people in their efforts to establish adequate healthcare for their communities, particularly cancer care. Today there is no oncologist or cancer center in the Marshall Islands and the lack of adequate healthcare means that the violence of U.S. nuclear weapons testing continues every day that people cannot access the care they need. Marshallese patients who migrate to Washington State and the U.S. legally are also in need of comprehensive and accessible cancer care.
From 1946-1958, the United States Government detonated sixty-seven atomic and thermonuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands when the islands were part of a trust territory administered by the United States. The weapons tests included the infamous Bravo shot on March 1, 1954. Bravo was the equivalent of 1,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs and to this day remains the largest weapon ever detonated by the United States. Although the U.S. Government routinely evacuated downwind communities for tests as a protection measure, on the day that the U.S. Government detonated the Castle Bravo US hydrogen bomb, the U.S. Government purposefully decided not to evacuate or warn downwind communities about potential dangers. Following their exposures to fallout from Bravo, the U.S. Government enrolled residents of two downwind communities, Rongelap and Utrik, into a top secret medical experimentation program, Project 4.1, to study the effects of radiation exposure on human beings. U.S. Government weapons designers used data collected in the Marshall Islands to modify their weapons of mass destruction based on their understandings of the ways radiation exposure impacts human beings.
For people exposed to acute levels of radiation in the Marshall Islands, they immediately experienced deep burns, in some cases down to the bone, hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and fevers. Parents were so overcome by their radiation sickness that they could not care for their own children calling them for help. Rather than provide medical care to the exposed populations during the immediate crisis, the U.S. Government brought them to an internment camp on Kwajalein to photograph the health impacts, and extract bone marrow, blood, skin and hair samples from the people.
In the days and years following, U.S. Government doctors continued medical trips to the Marshall Islands to advance their research, and in some cases distributing placebos to avoid altering their study of the effects of radiation on human beings. Cancer, thyroid disorders, stunted growth, developmental delays, birthing anomalies and deaths are just some of the health issues experienced by communities, including those resettled or residing on islands with residual levels of radiation.
Despite widespread exposure resulting from cumulative and long-term exposure to radiation from sixty-seven weapons, today the U.S. Department of Energy provides medical care to fewer than 100 people who resided downwind from just one of the tests, Bravo. The health impacts of 66 atmospheric tests are not factored into U.S.-provided healthcare. Furthermore, DOE provides medical care for only specific types of cancer.
The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is overwhelmed by the healthcare needs of its population. The lack of existing infrastructure and human resources coupled with the immense cost of off-island referrals for cancer and other radiation-related illnesses exceeds the resources of the Marshall Islands. Many Marshallese migrate to Washington State, and the United States, in part, to access healthcare, including cancer care.
Marshallese remain concerned about healthcare issues related to exposure to radiation from the tests as well as to communities resettled or living in areas with residual radiation. A recent L.A. Times article reported contemporary radiation levels in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) up to 1,000 times higher than Chernobyl and Fukushima. For decades the U.S. Government maintained that it cleaned up radiation from the ground zero testing area on Enewetak Atoll, and a segment of the Enewetakese population evacuated for the testing program today lives on an island adjacent to the nuclear waste facility, the Runit Dome. Recent studies by Drs. Nikolic and Emlyn Hughes from Columbia University reported in research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, identified sources of radiation in the facility, and on Naen Island of Rongelap, that are from sources other than fallout from weapons, and opens the possibility of unreported and illegal dumping by the U.S. of radioactive waste from sources outside the Marshall Islands. Furthermore, the RMI Government recently learned from the U.S. Department of Energy that the Runit Dome contains less than 1% of the plutonium released on Enewetak and the remaining 99% is free flowing in the lagoon near where resettled populations reside; a “clean-up” did not take place.
In August 2019, the National Nuclear Commission (NNC) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands submitted a Nuclear Justice Strategy to the President and Cabinet of the Marshall Islands outlining priorities to address nuclear justice in the islands. As the NNC notes, healthcare, and particularly cancer care, remains an urgent priority for the Marshallese people.
From the start of the U.S. nuclear weapons testing program in 1946 until the present, Marshallese leaders have been vigorously demanding accountability from the United States, and pleading with the international community for assistance. Many of the most outspoken and effective Marshallese advocates on nuclear issues have died from cancer, including the late Minister Tony deBrum who helped file lawsuits with the International Court of Justice against nations with nuclear weapons, and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 before his death.
Government leaders and citizen activists from the Marshall Islands have asked WPSR for assistance to address the incredible health injustices in the Marshall Islands linked to activities by the U.S. Government for which the United States fails to take responsibility. WPSR has been making introductions and setting up meetings between the RMI’s NNC and the RMI’s Ministry of Health & Human Resources to consider opportunities for collaboration with cancer care providers, particularly in Washington State. Given that the nuclear weapons tests conducted by the United States Government took place when the islands were a territory of the United States, Marshallese deserve the same standard of healthcare received by Americans citizens. The United States advanced its military, political and economic goals through its activities in the Marshall Islands, but the U.S. left an array of intergenerational health impacts and trauma that need attention. WPSR acknowledges the need for U.S. physicians and healthcare providers to support and join Marshallese efforts to secure cancer care access for Marshallese citizens residing in the islands, as well as in Washington State and beyond.
Co-authored by:
Her Excellency Dr. Hilda Heine, President of the RMI
The Honorable John Silk, RMI Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Honorable Kalani Kaneko, RMI Minister of Health & Human Resources
Rhea Moss-Christian, Chair, RMI National Nuclear Commission
Alson Kelen, Commissioner, RMI National Nuclear Commission
Holly Barker, Commissioner, RMI Nuclear Commissioner, WPSR Nuclear Weapons Taskforce
Bruce Amundson, Co-Chair, WPSR Nuclear Weapons Taskforce
Joseph Berkson, Co-Chair, WPSR Nuclear Weapons Taskforce
Carly Brook, Nuclear Weapons Abolition Organizer, WPSR Nuclear Weapons Taskforce
David Anitok, Program Director, COFA Alliance National Network
Health professionals support a Green New Deal for Seattle
As conversations about a Green New Deal multiply and gain more prominence nationally, we’re excited to be part of a new effort focused on creating a city-wide Green New Deal for Seattle. This campaign led by 350 Seattle and local environmental justice organization Got Green urges City of Seattle leaders to eliminate climate pollution by 2030, address historic injustice in the city and its policies, and create thousands of living wage jobs.
WPSR is one of nearly 200 organizations to sign-on in support of Seattle’s Green New Deal. Four physician members of our Climate & Health Task Force have represented WPSR’s support for this initiative before City Hall in recent weeks. On August 13th, Dr. Annemarie Dooley, a nephrologist and active member of our Climate & Health Task Force, and Dr. Margaret Kitchell, a retired psychiatrist and longtime Task Force member, testified before City Council in support of the plan. Watch their testimonies here (starting at minute 11:00).
The Seattle Green New Deal is likely to include policies that will be introduced over time, including one that would prevent new fossil fuels in buildings (following the recent move by the City of Berkeley, CA to ban all new natural gas hookups). Most of our natural gas is derived from fracking, a clear and severe example of how fossil fuel extraction harms communities. Pollution from fracking is linked to low birthweights, neurological disorders, respiratory illness, harm to pregnant mothers, and even certain cancers. The combustion of gas inside our homes produces harmful indoor air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and ultrafine particles. A policy like that just passed in Berkeley that promotes all-electric new construction in homes and buildings can also significantly support human health by improving indoor air quality.
Last month, the American Medical Association, Academy of Family Physicians, the American Lung Association, and dozens more public health and clinician organizations developed a Call to Action on Climate, Health, and Equity. Rapidly transitioning away from natural gas in order to improve human health and reduce contributions to climate change was a key priority in their joint statement.
Climate change is an existential threat to health, but as the medical journal The Lancet reminds us, the climate crisis and efforts to address it pose “the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century”. A Seattle Green New Deal effort led by communities most impacted by climate pollution and fossil fuel infrastructure is an important step towards realizing climate justice and supporting the health of all people.
Photos left to right: Dr. Dooley listens to testimony during a committee hearing on the Green New Deal resolution, Carly Brook, Dr. Ken Lans, and Dr. Rich Lipsky at City Hall for the Green New Deal campaign launch, and founder of Standing Rock Siox camp LaDonna Brave Bull Alard testifies before City Council as Dr. Dooley sits behind (credit: 350 Seattle).
Honoring the Victims of Hiroshima on the 74th Anniversary
By Laura Skelton
This week marks the 74th anniversary of the United States dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As we have every year since 1984, a diverse community gathered on August 6, the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, at Green Lake to remember the more than 200,000 lives extinguished by those two bombings. Thursday, August 9, is the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, which has a direct connection to Washington State. It was here in Washington, at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, that the plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki was manufactured.
It is vital that we remember the very real and devastating consequences of these weapons of mass destruction. Yet, it is even more important that we take steps to ensure that nuclear weapons do not claim any more lives. Important progress in the form of diplomacy and international treaties has been made since the wartime bombings of 1945. Unfortunately, it seems that we as a nation are departing from our longtime commitment to nuclear disarmament.
President Trump has pulled the United States out of the Iran Deal (a deal that would limit Iran’s ability to create a nuclear weapon, and one that experts agree was working). And just last week, the United States formally withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, which for decades has limited the possibility of land-based nuclear attacks. Other developments, such as the creation of a new class of “low-yield” nuclear weapons (today’s “low yield” weapons are equivalent to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima) and the plan to “modernize” the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal, send a message to the rest of the world that we are nowhere close to relinquishing our nuclear firepower.
On a more hopeful note, there are policies being discussed that could dramatically improve the dangerous situation we find ourselves in. At the very least, the U.S. could finally adopt a “no first use” policy, which would match the Pentagon’s rhetoric that nuclear weapons are only needed for defensive reasons. If we only have nuclear weapons to defend ourselves, why would we ever need to launch them first? Senate bill 272 (introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren) and House bill 921 (introduced by Rep. Adam Smith from Washington’s 9th district; also co-sponsored by Rep. Denny Heck and rep. Pramila Jayapal) would help to de-escalate tensions that have been growing among nuclear states.
Before another year moves the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki further from our minds, let us honor the victims by taking real and meaningful actions to protect current and future generations.
Important Anti-Nuclear Gains Made in House Version of the National Defense Authorization Act
By Alexander Tufel
For months now, the country (and perhaps the world) watch with bated breath as this year’s $733 billion National Defense Authorization Act slowly takes shape.
On the negotiating table is the health of everything living on the planet.
While pundits from both major political parties decry the cost of providing all of us with healthcare, education, and a habitable planet for future generations, the $733 Billion NDAA reveals the extent to which American Politics is guided by the Military Industrial Complex.
The Trump administration is engaged in an extraordinarily dangerous push to blur the line between conventional and nuclear weapons while also attempting to provoke Iran into an illegal and unconstitutional war.
The House of Representatives, however, has delivered a number of important sought-after victories in the House version of the NDAA. If these amendments make it into the final version of the NDAA, it would act as an additional set of checks and balances on the Trump administration’s reckless foreign policy and autocratic impulses.
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility has prioritized the inclusion and objection to a number of amendments to the NDAA, all of which received support from Washington State Democratic representatives Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal, Kim Schrier, Derek Kilmer, Rick Larsen, Suzane DelBene and Denny Heck.
Defeated funding the deployment of Trump's new "low-yield" nuclear weapon
Leading up to the 2016 election, the terrifying prospect of Trump having total authority over our nuclear arsenal was broadcasted to us on a regular basis. Since taking office, Trump’s “red button” has only gotten bigger.
Last year, the Trump administration released their 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, essentially doing away with the notion that weapons of mass destruction should be reserved only as a deterrent.
Aside from suggesting that the United States respond to a cyber attack from a hostile country with nuclear armaments, the document called for the development of a new low-yield nuclear weapon, according to Common Dreams. With ⅓ the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, the W76-2 dangerously lowers the threshold for the use of such weapons on the battlefield, possibly leading to a scenario of escalation that threatens all of humanity.
Thankfully, an amendment introduced by Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) that would have funded the deployment of the W76-2 was voted down.
Repealed the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force
It has been sixteen years since the United States invaded Iraq, leading to the death of hundreds of thousands.
What is now viewed almost unanimously as a disastrous decision by politicians and the American public is not enough to deter hawkish Trump administration officials, such as National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, from starting another endless war in the Middle East.
An amendment introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) repeals the 2001 AUMF, a significant step in Congress reclaiming the power under article I of the constitution to authorize war.
Prohibited the unauthorized use of military force against Iran
From pulling out of the Iran Deal, to Trump’s twitter threats of genocide, to renewed sanctions, the Trump Administration has done almost everything to provoke a war.
On June 20, after an American surveillance drone was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New York Times, the United States was minutes away from initiating an attack on Iranian targets when the president abruptly changed his mind.
As long as neoconservatives John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are in the White House, war with Iran remains a very real possibility.
An amendment introduced by Ro Khanna (D-CA) prohibits an unauthorized war with Iran.
Prevented the U.S. military from supporting and participating in the Saudi-led war against Houthis in Yemen
The conflict in Yemen between the country’s Zaidi Shia Muslim minority and the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Sunni Arab nations has led to the world’s worst humanitarian distaster, according to the BCC. Since March 2015, the UN reports that at least 7,025 civilians have been killed and another 11,140 injured.
Three million people, two million of which are children, are on the brink of starvation, while also enduring the world’s largest recorded cholera outbreak.
Starting under former-President Barack Obama and continued under President Trump, the United States has been aiding this genocide through sharing intelligence, refueling planes and selling munitions to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to In These Times.
An amendment introduced by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) ends the United States’ support to the Saudi-led coalition’s military operations in Yemen.
Expressed Congressional support for the extension of the New START treaty
The 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which replaced the original 1991 START 1 treaty, was an agreement between the United States and Russia to verifiably reduce the two nations’ nuclear arsenals, according to the Arms Control Association.
Seven years after the adoption of the treaty, both countries' bombs and warheads were reduced by 1,550.
An amendment introduced by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) would not only extend New START but also prohibit the use of funds for withdrawing from the treaty unless Russia has violated the agreement.
Withheld funding for new missiles that would violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
Earlier this year, the Trump Administration pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The landmark arms control agreement between then-President Ronald Reagan and Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev required the elimination of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, according to the U.S. Department of State website.
In addition to the administration’s highly aggressive 2018 Nuclear Posture Review and the $2.1 trillion “modernization” of our nuclear arsenal that started under former-President Obama, the scrapping of the INF Treaty is paving the way for a new global arms race.
Last June, a document briefly published online by the Pentagon before it was taken down revealed a frightening return to the Cold War-era mentality of winning a nuclear war, according to The Guardian.
An amendment introduced by Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) prohibits funding for any missiles that are noncompliant with the INF Treaty unless the Secretary of Defense meets certain conditions.
Thanking our Washington State representatives
It is important that we take the time to thank your representatives in Washington for taking a stand and voting for the interests and health of their constituents but also the world. Without their support, such important amendments would not have even been considered. With our allies in Congress, we will continue to oppose this administration’s dangerous agenda.
WPSR joins global call for urgent climate action to protect health
Washington health professionals are among the thousands of medical providers represented in a new call for public officials to advance solutions that address the climate crisis.
The new policy action agenda, The Call to Action on Climate, Health and Equity, advocates specific solutions to promote human health. Endorsers include The American Lung Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and dozens of other groups which represent thousands of medical providers in Washington State. Recommendations include rapid transition away from coal, oil, and natural gas, promotion of active transportation, and targeted investments in communities most impacted by climate change and air pollution.
"In our state, the resulting climate crisis is already responsible for an increase in heat-related illness and deaths, as well as worsening asthma from greater levels of air pollution and wildfire smoke,” said Ken Lans, MD, the Past-President and Co-Chair of the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Climate & Health Task Force, which signed the letter. “The specific recommendations in this Call to Action are affordable, achievable and will significantly benefit human health. We ask our elected officials in Washington state to continue their leadership and promote and invest in health-promoting solutions to our climate crisis.”
"We have to cure ourselves of fossil fuels"
On May 22nd, Dr. Mark Vossler and Dr. Annemarie Dooley spoke to Puget Sound Energy executives at their listening session in Bellevue. Both urged the utility to rapidly move away from fossil fuels , given the scale and health impacts of our climate crisis and the dangers posed by dirty energy. Watch their testimonies, and see Dr. Vossler’s letter below.
Addressed to David Mills, Sr. Vice President of Puget Sound Energy
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Puget Sound Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan. As a PSE rate payer, practicing physician, public health advocate, and representative of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, I have serious concerns.
First and foremost is the planned continued reliance upon natural gas even as coal based electricity generation is phased out. The LNG plant in Tacoma and the pipeline expansion plans in Snohomish county reveal that rather than transition to renewable energy as quickly as possible you intend to extend our societal dependence on dangerous, dirty, unhealthy energy sources for as long as possible. Given that methane is 86 times as potent a greenhouse gas as CO2 in the twenty-year time frame any leakage between the well and generating station is dangerous to the health of the entire global population. Furthermore the serious health risks posed to surrounding communities by fracking operations need to be considered. It is immoral for us to keep our lights on at the expense of the health of people living proximal to frack sites.
We are pleased that you plan to comply with state law and not charge rate payers for coal generated electricity after 2025 but your stated plans for the Colstrip plant seem quite nebulous. The climate impacts and the waste disposal issues of coal would mandate that nobody is getting their electricity from Colstrip after 2025.
PSE’s planned infrastructure developments, including Energize Eastside, seem to be geared toward centralized power generation inherent in the old model of burning fossil fuels rather than the new model of distributed generation and clean energy.
We therefore request that your IRP be revised to include no expansion of the use of fracked gas, including the Tacoma LNG project, a more rapid transition to 100% renewable sources, and a revision of the infrastructure build out paid for by your ratepayers to more accurately reflect the needs of a modern renewable energy grid.
Sincerely,
Mark Vossler, MD
President, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Nuclear Weapons is A Current Threat
By Joe Berksen, WPSR Member, Nuclear Weapons Task Force
This piece was written for Joe’s 50th College Graduation Anniversary, thoughtfully crafted to engage his former peers and colleagues about the urgency to act to prevent nuclear war.
Our generation started with “duck and cover,” nuclear attack drills in elementary school. A few years later in the Kennedy administration, we lived through the Cuban missile crisis which had all America on edge for days. Nuclear war seemed a real and present danger. I was scared!
Later when attending Oberlin, we were fighting against the Vietnam war and threats of nuclear war. I studied nuclear weapons on my own, verification of nuclear tests and started advocating for the nuclear test ban treaty.
With Soviet detente in the early 1980s, there was progress on reducing nuclear weapons arsenals. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the movement relaxed, thinking the risk was less. But now the dangers of nuclear war or nuclear accidents are higher, and I’m scared again.
After medical school, I moved to Washington state and joined the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility(WPSR). We sought to leverage public respect for physicians, to teach that nuclear war was a public health threat. Consequences of nuclear explosions could not be effectively treated medically and we campaigned to prevent any use.
Many groups in Washington State care deeply about eliminating nuclear weapons, but none of these groups were working together. Knowing we would be much stronger together than alone, three years ago WPSR created a statewide, antinuclear coalition, Washington Against Nuclear Weapons.
Through the coalition, which now includes over 40 organizations from across the state, we are building a public anti-nuclear weapons movement. We are still growing, with diverse groups including peace, faith, healthcare, labor, education, and social justice organizations.
Our coalition work is supported by a strong group of WPSR members (over 1000 in our state), I volunteer on our WPSR nuclear weapons abolition “task force,” which has a full-time staff organizer. We developed a strategic plan collaboratively with the coalition, with a goal to impact policy makers to change U.S. nuclear policies.
Washington Against Nuclear Weapons is one of the few, and definitely the largest, anti-
nuclear coalitions in the country. We want to increase public visibility of nuclear weapons issues through media and community organizing. Building solidarity with social justice movements, we partner with local grassroots organizations engaging local activists, educating the public by daylighting the military industrial complex and nuclear weapon manufacturers in Washington State.
We are exerting constituent pressure on members of Congress by meeting with all congressional delegates at least yearly. We feel our efforts show progress. For several years WPSR worked with a Washington State Congressman, Adam Smith, to educate him on nuclear weapon issues, meeting with him several times per year for the past decade, since he was open to the issues and was getting more progressive with time.
Adam Smith is now Chair of the Armed Services committee in the house and held the first hearing on nuclear weapons policy in house committee in the past 30 years. He declared that he supports no-first-strike legislation and will work to stop increased spending on low-yield nuclear weapons, and is against “upgrading” our ground based ICBMs. He believes they can be eliminated from the arsenal.
We need a safer world and there is hope.
Militarism Threatens All Humanity
By Jim Sawyer, WPSR Member, Nuclear Weapons Task Force
US military spending continues to spiral, expand, explode and there is no end in sight. Sadly this fiscal insanity is rarely challenged or contested by our governing political establishment. This damning reality showcases the impact of militarism in modern American life. How pervasive is militarism? Militarism has woven its way into every facet of American culture and is seldom commented on. This is not hyperbole or exaggeration but is in fact an understatement for where we are at as a nation. How many Americans can list the nations that the United States is at war with and is currently bombing? How many Senators and members of congress can accurately tell us the total number of US military bases worldwide; or the locations for this global network of bases? You could not find one Senator or congress member who can answer this.
What Americans have to come to terms with is the threat that uncontested US militarism presents to all humankind. Consider that 3% of US military spending could end all global hunger. Acknowledge the reality that US military spending is the single biggest contributor to Global climate catastrophe and environmental destruction in the world. US militarism is the driving force, behind the 6th great extinction that we are now in the midst of. President Eisenhower in his famous 1960 farewell address warned us about the threat of the “military industrial complex.” Ike is not rolling over in his grave now- he is doing cartwheels.
The only force that has a chance of countering and rolling back the militarism that has poisoned both our culture and political press is active political action and democratic participation. We have to meet head on and with passion discredit the misguided notion that endless military spending and expansionism somehow safeguards the country when the exact opposite is true. Reasoned people need to collectively cast light on this a problem that left unaddressed will eventually lead to endless global conflict and inevitably nuclear extinction. The choice is ours. It’s not too late to act on and rally behind the wisdom of President Eisenhower.
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.
Historic climate legislation passes through WA legislature
With your help, WPSR and our coalition partners secured major victories on climate and environmental policies this legislative session. These wins were only possible because of years of hard work from people like you to push equitable action on climate change at all levels in our state. Thank you for your work to help make this happen! This was one of the most sweeping policy aggregates in recent memory in Washington.
To recap, here’s a quick snapshot of the progress we achieved together:
The strongest 100% renewable energy policy in the nation, phasing out coal by 2025 and eliminating fossil fuels from our electric sector by 2045. This historic bill will grow jobs in clean energy and provide energy assistance to help all Washingtonians reap the benefits of our transition to healthy sources of energy.
A clean buildings policy that will reduce carbon pollution and improve health. 20% of our carbon emissions come from the commercial sector, and this bill establishes critical energy efficiency standards.
Creation of a state task force to address environmental health disparities caused by pollution. Where you live shouldn’t determine your health, and this task force will begin crucial work to reduce pollution and existing health inequities.
A landmark oil spill prevention and safety bill. This victory adds a notch in our successful movement to improve safety in oil transported over water, halt dangerous new oil export facilities, and prevent the likelihood of catastrophic oil spill
WPSR advocates played an important role in these victories. From testifying and lobbying in Olympia, to convening unprecedented support from our state’s medical and healthcare community, to publishing letters in local newspapers and communicating with legislators, your support helped ensure that our elected officials knew that taking action on climate change is imperative for our health. Thank you.
While two of our priority bills, a clean fuel standard and the Healthy Environment for All Act, didn’t make it across the finish line this year, we look forward to continuing our advocacy on these important policies in the coming months.
What comes next?
WPSR’s Climate & Health Task Force is continually working towards climate justice. We’re excited to keep heath messages at the center of our movement to stop new mega fracked gas projects in Washington, and more collaboration with health and medical groups to address this moral issue of our time.
For now, we are deeply grateful for your support in this work, and thrilled that we’re ending this session with the most sweeping set of policies supporting a healthy climate in recent memory. Onwards!
Thanks for all you do,
Sarah Cornett
Climate Program Organizer, WPSR
Ken Lans, MD, MBA
Chair, Climate & Health Task Force
Past-President, WPSR
Washington Against Nuclear Weapons Calls on State Legislature to Prevent Nuclear War: SJM 8006 Ends up in X-File
Written by Alexander Tufel, Beyond the Bomb UW Chapter
Seattle, Wa — Washington Against Nuclear Weapons (WANW) organized the State Senate to pass Senate Joint Memorial 8006 and in the House of Representatives to pass House Joint Memorial 4008; these memorials requests that the U.S. Congress impose checks and balances on a president’s ability to start a nuclear war. These bills put the the impacts of Nuclear Weapons on people in Washington State on display at the highest level of governance in Washington State.
WANW, a statewide coalition of activists united for a future free of nuclear weapons, hopes to halt the $1.7 trillion overhaul of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, with the long term goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons.
Aside from curtailing a U.S. president’s ability to launch a preemptive strike, the memorial also asks that the president not have unilateral authority to use nuclear weapons, removing US nuclear weapons from hair trigger alert, cancelling the planned $1.7 trillion rebuilding of our nuclear arsenal, and pursuing multilateral, verifiable disarmament with other nuclear powers, leading to the total elimination of all nuclear weapons.
SJM 8006 was drafted with grassroots involvement, has the backing of over 40 organizations statewide, and is co-sponsored by Sens. Bob Hasegawa, Patty Kuderer, Sam Hunt, David Frockt, Jamie Pederson, and Rebecca Saldaña.
On Feb. 22, 2019, SJM 8006 had a public hearing at the Senate State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, where it passed the rules committee.
Hasegawa opened the hearing by recounting the nuclear weapons experimentation that occurred in the Marshall Islands during the Cold War and his opposition to the current arms nuclear racing of the Trump Administration.
“I think this whole escalation of the nuclear arms race that is kicking into gear again is just as sociopathic and unconscionable as what we did to the those people,” Hasegawa said. “The fear that this brings on of just global annihilation at the disposal of one person … I think needs to be corrected.”
Hasegawa added that given that the Washington State has the highest concentration of nuclear weapons in the country, it would be a “prime target” during a nuclear exchange.
According to Crosscut, 20 miles from Seattle is Naval Base Kitsap, home port to eight out of the fourteen Trident ballistic missile submarines. The base also houses an underground nuclear weapons storage complex. Altogether, the base contains over 1,300 nuclear warheads. This is not only the single largest concentration in the country, but the world.
Nine other activists from various grassroots organizations also gave testimonies, voicing their concerns with U.S. nuclear policy and its current dangerous trajectory.
“For half a century, nuclear weapons have continuously threatened to destroy all life on earth,” Glen Anderson from the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons said. “If something were to go haywire right now in our nuclear system, 30 minutes from now all of us could be dead.”
He urged those listening to consider the fact that, while only Congress can officially declare war, no such impediment is placed on the president’s ability to wage nuclear war.
“Let us hope we never have a president who is emotionally unstable,” Anderson said. “Let us hope we never have a president who is reckless and impulsive.”
WPSR Executive Director Laura Skelton mentioned the Trump Administration’s recent withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which she said could could trigger a new arms race, according to experts. Those living close to deployed nuclear weapons would be most at risk.
“SJM 8006 is an important tool for sending a message to our president and our federal leaders,” Skelton said. “Please pass this measure.”
Given that the Senate failed to hear a vote on SJM 8006 before the cutoff date on March 13, WANW will have to take a second swing at passing this legislation through the legislature next session. The Joint Memorial ended up in what is called the “X-File” where the House and Senate Rules Committees may place bills that will go no further in the legislative process. WANW hopes that Washington State legislators make not only the right choice for the safety and health of their constituents, but the world. Our country’s dangerous and reckless nuclear policy must be changed.
Climate & Health Task Force testifies in support of King County fossil fuel moratorium
On Wednesday, March 13th, four members of WPSR’s Climate & Health Task Force testified to King County Council supporting the six-month ordinance prohibiting new fossil fuel projects! Over 30 people testified in support of the moratorium, which was passed in January.
You can watch the video of their testimonies here.
The physicians included:
Dr. Dianne Glover, a pediatric infectious disease specialist who spoke about her infant patients and how climate change excacerbates wildfire smoke pollution that can significantly harm lung function, especially in babies born prematurely
Dr. Annemarie Dooley, a nephrologist who’s seen increases in heat-related kidney disorders in her patients as our region has experienced higher temperatures in recent summers
Dr. Margaret Kitchell, who spoke about the Lancet Commission’s findings last year that city-level carbon reduction is a key piece in reducing the health consequences of climate change, and
Dr. Ken Lans, who encouraged Council members to mitigate air, water, and climate pollution in their regulatory re-write and hold fossil fuel projects to high environmental review standards.
Thank you to 350 Seattle organizers and all who attended to support this important policy!
WPSR Celebrates 40 Years of Health-Based Advocacy
In 2019 WPSR is celebrating its 40th year! We created this video to highlight just a few of the wonderful people and key events from our first four decades.
Thanks to Ken Lans and Jason Merges for putting this video together!