Peace Action West

When the Bush Administration recommended a plan to build a new generation of nuclear weapons and to produce new warheads annually, Peace Action West went right to work. We believe that rather than build new nuclear weapons, the U.S. should lead a global effort to eliminate them.

At local hearings in California and Nevada, Peace Action West spearheaded efforts to mobilize supporters and prepare staff to testify. Hundreds of citizens turned out, the vast majority to express their opposition to the president's plan.

Our efforts mobilized thousands of concerned citizens in opposition to a resurgence of nuclear weapons investment. Our members generated thousands of emails, postcards and calls to targeted members of Congress. We celebrated a huge victory when Congress cut all funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead from the budget in September 2008.

Peace Action West helped derail the plan in Congress by targeting key Senators and Representatives who had the power to influence the decision.

• For six months we organized in California's 10th district, home of Representative Ellen Tauscher, who chaired a subcommittee that could make or break the new nuclear weapons funding. Rep. Tauscher was on the fence at the start of our campaign. After Peace Action West generated hundreds of calls and thousands of petition signatures to her office, her committee zeroed out the funding for Bush's new nuclear weapons.
• We focused on Congressional leaders like Senator Harry Reid and Representative Nancy Pelosi, to demonstrate to them that voters were opposed to funding new nuclear weapons. Peace Action West members sent hundreds of letters to their offices and also organized face-to-face meetings.
• We also worked closely with Senator Dianne Feinstein, who was instrumental in eliminating funding for new nuclear weapons in the Senate.

In early 2009, some Members of Congress tried to insert $1 billion for nuclear weapons infrastructure into President Obama's economic stimulus plan. Peace Action West's members once again helped derail the effort by flooding Congress with emails, phone calls and letters.