Reducing Nuclear Weapons, Fighting Global Hunger
A petition to the House of Representatives supporting passage of the Global Security Priorities Resolution (H. Res 278).
The resolution addresses the threat of international terrorism and protects the security of the United States by reducing the number of and access to nuclear weapons and preventing their proliferation. H. Res. 278 urges the President to continue negotiations to further reduce nuclear arms, to cut the number of nuclear weapons deployed by the U.S. and Russia, to assist other countries in reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons, and to expand efforts to prevent terrorists from gaining access to nuclear materials.
Directs a portion of the resulting $13 billion saved annually towards child survival, food security, and universal education. H. Res. 278 requests $5 billion over five years to enhance global child survival through new high-impact and low-cost health and nutrition interventions at the community level, and an additional $1.5 billion annually over five years for existing programs that reduce child hunger and increase child nutrition and educational opportunities. These added resources would enable organizations such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to strengthen food security programs with local partners in poor countries to boost long term food security and life-saving emergency aid.
We the undersigned ask that the House support H. Res. 278, the Global Security Priorities Resolution, introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA).
This resolution seeks to protect the global security of the United States by reducing the number and accessibility of nuclear weapons and by directing the resulting savings to the prevention of nuclear proliferation and to global child survival and child nutrition programs. The measure advances a more comprehensive look at the steps that should be taken to secure nuclear weapons, stop the spread of terrorism, and address the poverty and hopelessness that contribute to international instability.
The 9/11 Commission Report recommended a strategy to counter terrorism that includes policies that encourage development, improve the lives of families, and enhance prospects for children's futures. UNICEF reports that 9.2 million children under the age of five die every year, mostly from preventable causes. Promoting global child survival must be part of our global efforts to create a more secure world.
H. Res. 278 will encourage the House of Representatives to develop a budgetary strategy to formulate a more comprehensive and a complete approach to global security that incorporates both essential defense and development objectives.
Thank you for considering this request.
