A Look Back at 2007

Jan 7, 2008

Dear Friend

As a new year begins, we would like to take a look back at 2007 and celebrate some important victories with you – some of which were won in legislation passed at the end of the year in the midst of holiday preparations:

• Despite the Bush administration's determination to develop new nuclear weapons, Congress denied all funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead and for a major new "bomplex" plant that would have helped build new nuclear warheads.


• Congress cut more than half of the administration's request for funds to participate in a dangerous program to reprocess used nuclear fuel.


• North Korea has responded to renewed diplomatic efforts and taken concrete steps to curb its nuclear program.


• The December National Intelligence Estimate that determined Tehran had suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 forced President Bush and Vice-President Cheney to back off of their threats of a military attack on Iran.


• In an effort to help the next President reevaluate U.S. nuclear weapons policy, Congress mandated two studies of America's current nuclear weapons strategy.

Click here to read a complete review of these national security successes in 2007.

In short, while the terrible war in Iraq continues, we did make some significant progress on nuclear weapons issues.

The major priority for the arms control community in 2008 will be to hold the line against the Bush administration's nuclear weapons proposals, and then to push for wholesale change by the new president who takes office on January 20, 2009.

We look forward to working with you to make this happen over the next year.

Sincerely,
Guy Stevens

P.S. If you'd like to help Council for a Livable World push for more nuclear weapons victories in 2008, you can make a contribution here.