North Dakota United Methodist Clergy
Help Stop New Nuclear Weapon

from Friends Committee on National Legislation
Two dozen North Dakota United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy, including Bishop Deborah Kiesey, helped lead the effort to block the Bush Administration's plan to build a new generation of nuclear weapons. Ending this nuclear warhead program is a major victory for disarmament advocates across the world.

North Dakota Sen. Bryon Dorgan, a member of the Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee that controls nuclear weapons funding, was urged by UMC clergy to block the administration's proposal to develop the new weapon of mass destruction. They were among 50 clerics who urged him to do.

The letter said, in part: "We, the 50 undersigned religious leaders in North Dakota, urge you to oppose the administration's proposed Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW). In particular we are writing to ask you to delete all funding for this program from next year's federal budget. We applaud the bipartisan House decision to zero out funding for the new nuclear warhead, and hope you will agree to this course of action when you consider in conference committee the fate of the RRW program."

In an effort joined by North Dakota Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, Quakers, Unitarians and others, Sen. Dorgan was delivered a letter signed by the clergy requesting zero funding for the so-called Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW).

UMC clergy also personally contacted the senator to express their concerns about building this multi-billion dollar new weapon.

Just before leaving for Christmas, and with Sen. Dorgan's consent,
Congress passed a massive omnibus spending bill that includes more than half of the federal government's discretionary spending. Deep within the half-trillion dollar omnibus bill, one line indicates zero money has been appropriated for RRW. The day after Christmas, President Bush signed the bill into law.

This victory is an example of people of different faiths coming together to make a tangible impact on the legislative process. With one unified voice, these North Dakota clergy of different denominations, but shared values, lobbied Congress to end an immoral, dangerous and wasteful new nuclear weapon program.