Open Letter to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in Support of H. Res. 317
July 2025
We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge you to co-sponsor House Resolution 317, the critical resolution introduced by Representatives Jim McGovern and Jill Tokuda, titled “Urging the United States to Lead the World Back from the Brink of Nuclear War and Halt and Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race.” H. Res. 317 embodies a comprehensive strategy to protect humanity and strengthen global security by addressing the existential threat to humanity posed by nuclear weapons and adopting common-sense policies to prevent nuclear war.
The Resolution’s Core Concerns
The resolution calls attention to the intolerable risk posed by the approximately 12,000 nuclear weapons that remain worldwide, with the United States and Russia controlling nearly 90% of them. It highlights several alarming factors:
Catastrophic Risks, Environmental and Human Impact
A large-scale nuclear conflict would directly kill millions and devastate the planet’s climate, causing unprecedented environmental damage akin to conditions last seen during the Ice Age. Scientific studies demonstrate that the use of even a small fraction of existing nuclear weapons could trigger global climate disruption, leading to widespread famine and putting hundreds of millions of lives at risk.
Near-Misses and Growing Tensions
Historical miscalculations and adversarial misinterpretations have brought the world perilously close to nuclear war. Current geopolitical tensions—such as Russia’s explicit threats amidst the Ukraine invasion, deteriorating U.S.-China relations, ongoing crises on the Korean Peninsula, and heightened tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan—serve as stark reminders of the urgency to act.
Disproportionate Burdens
The resolution underscores the far-reaching harm inflicted on communities by nuclear weapons production, testing, and resource diversion. From radioactive exposure affecting marginalized groups near test sites to the exploitation of natural resources for uranium mining, nuclear weapons have left a devastating legacy. Additionally, the immense financial burden of nuclear spending diverts critical resources away from urgent societal needs, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
Why Co-Sponsorship Is Imperative
As affirmed by the resolution, the United States has a unique responsibility to lead global efforts toward disarmament and nuclear risk reduction:
Lead by Example
Reinforces the U.S. commitment to Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and encourages other nuclear-armed states to follow suit in negotiations to halt arsenal buildups and verifiably eliminate existing stockpiles.
Reform Cold War-era Policies
Advocates for safer nuclear policies, including ending the Cold War-era “launch-under-attack” posture and first-use policies, which significantly increase the risks of accidental nuclear conflict.
Redirect Your Constituents’ Tax Dollars
Reduces the financial strain on U.S. taxpayers by halting the exorbitant and unwarranted initiatives to develop and deploy new nuclear warheads and delivery systems, which the Congressional Budget Office projects will cost $946 billion over the next decade.
A Vision for the Future
The resolution also emphasizes essential steps to ensure a safer and just future by maintaining the global moratorium on nuclear explosive testing, providing compensation and remediation for communities and workers affected by nuclear weapon production and testing, and planning an economic transition for civilian and military workforces tied to the nuclear industry, fostering sustainable development in affected communities.
By co-sponsoring H. Res. 317, you will take a stand for the preservation of human survival, environmental integrity, and global stability. This is not only a national security imperative but a moral obligation to lead the world away from the precipice of nuclear disaster. To sign on, please contact Todd Stein in Rep. McGovern’s office at todd.stein@mail.house.gov.
We urge you to join us in supporting this pivotal resolution and demonstrating your leadership in advancing a future free of nuclear weapons. Together, we can turn the tide and ensure a safer world for generations to come.
Sincerely,
National Organizations
Katie Huffling
Executive Director
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
Mike Merryman-Lotze
Just Peace Global Policy Director
American Friends Service Committee
Dylan Williams
VP for Government Affairs
Center for International Policy Advocacy
Connor Murray
Political Director
Council for a Livable World
Gregory Hall
Executive Director
Daisy Alliance
Allen Hester
Legislative Representative, Nuclear Disarmament and Pentagon Spending
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Michael Christ
Executive Director
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
Basharat Saleem
Executive Director
Islamic Society of North America
Dr. Deepshikha Vijh
Executive Director
Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy
Dan Moriarty
Senior Program Officer, Peace and Nonviolence
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Keith Swartzendruber
Advocacy Coalition Coordinator
National Council of Churches
Giulia Bordin
Advocacy Officer
Pax Christi International
Charlene Howard
Executive Director
Pax Christi USA
Kevin Martin
President
Peace Action
Magritte Gordaneer
Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program
Manager
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Alex Hall
Field Building Manager
Ploughshares
Dr. Andrew J. Peterson
Representative for Peacemaking, Office of Public Witness
Presbyterian Church USA, Office of Public Witness
Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia
Executive Director
Religions for Peace-USA
Calvin Wu
Secretary
Science for the People
Mark Muhich
Chairman, Sierra Club Stop Nuclear Weapons Team
Sierra Club
Renu Debozi
Vice President
Soka Gakkai International-USA
Susie Faria
Policy Advisor
The Episcopal Church
Tamara Upfal
Eisendrath Legislative Assistant
Union for Reform Judaism
Tara Drozdenko
Director, Global Security Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
Helen Nwabara
International Policy Advocate
United Church of Christ
George Friday
National Organizer
United for Peace and Justice
Colleen Moore
Director of Peace With Justice
United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
Paul Andrews
Co-Chair
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
Sofia Guerra
Government Relations Associate
Win Without War
Local/Regional Organizations
Mary Hunt
President
Pax Christi Little Rock
Little Rock, AR
Tony Jenkins
Managing Director
International Institute on Peace Education
Tucson, AZ
Barbara Warren
Chapter Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Arizona Chapter
Tucson, AZ
Jack Cohen-Joppa
Co-Coordinator
The Nuclear Resister
Tucson, AZ
Elizabeth Stevens
Chair, Compassion, Peace, & Justice Ministry
Davis Community Church
Davis, CA
Bart Ziegler
President
The Samuel Lawrence Foundation
Del Mar, CA
Nancy Key
President
Enough Gun Violence/Brady Greater Fresno
Fresno, CA
Carol Goiburn
Treasurer
Fresno Center for Nonviolence
Fresno, CA
Ken Hudson
Secretary
Peace Fresno
Fresno, CA
Joshua Shurley
Lead Organizer
Veterans For Peace – Chapter 180
Fresno, CA
Carol Goiburn
Disarm Committee Chair
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom – Fresno Branch
Fresno, CA
Marylia Kelley
Senior Advisor
Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
Livermore, CA
Rick Banales
Communications & Social Media Director
Interfaith Communities United for Justice & Peace
Los Angeles, CA
Denise Duffield
Associate Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Jacqueline Cabasso
Executive Director
Western States Legal Foundation
Oakland, CA
Judy Irving
Executive Director
Pelican Media
San Francisco, CA
Robert Gould
President
San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
San Francisco, CA
Catherine Crockett
Board President
Monterey Peace and Justice Center
Seaside, CA
Dennise Burgess
Facilitator
Pax Christi Northern CA
CA
Kenneth Lichtenstein
Board Chair
Physicians for Social Responsibility Colorado
Evergreen, CO
Maryann Mueller
Sister
Felician Sisters
Enfield, CT
Jennifer Peck
Green Party of Connecticut
Hartford, CT
Luz Santana
Director
Vecinos Unidos – Hartford CT
Hartford, CT
Joseph Baxer
President
United Nations Association of Connecticut
Kent, CT
Fred Louis
Treasurer
Veterans for Peace – Chapter 42
New Britain, CT
Henry Lowendorf
Chair
Greater New Haven Peace Council
New Haven, CT
Barbara Katz
Co-Clerk
New Haven Friends Meeting
New Haven, CT
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Co-Director
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
New Haven, CT
Thomas Mariconda
Deacon
CT-RI Justice Circle
Shelton, CT
Palma Vaccaro
Clerk, Hartford Meeting
Hartford Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker)
West Hartford, CT
Omar Scott Antar
Co-Founder
Connecticut Palestine Alliance
CT
Kathy Boylan
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, DC
Washington, DC
Michele Dunne
Executive Director
Franciscan Action Network
Washington, DC
Ankush Bansal
President
Florida Physicians for Social Responsibility
Tampa, FL
Glenn Carroll
Coordinator
Nuclear Watch South
Atlanta, GA
Jani Cebula
President
Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, IA
John Rachow
Treasurer
Physicians for Social Responsibility Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Mary Shesgreen
Chair
Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice
Elgin, IL
M. Catherine Buntin
Interim Co-President
Chicago Area Peace Action
Evanston, IL
Anne Altor
CEO
One Earth Body Care
Carmel, IN
Ann Suellentrop
Project Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Kansas City
Kansas City, KS
Neil Gordon
Co-Chair
Brookline PAX
Brookline, MA
Anna Linakis
Executive Director
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Brookline, MA
Joseph Gerson
President
Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security
Cambridge, MA
Stephen Josoma
Pastor
Saint Susanna Parish
Dedham, MA
Susan Theberge
Co-Founder
Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts
Easthampton, MA
Sunny Robinson
Member
North Shore Coalition for Peace & Justice
Gloucester, MA
Anna Gyorgy
Communications Coordinator
Traprock Center for Peace and Justice
Greenfield, MA
Ann Capoccia
Advocate
SHOL Pax Christi/Sacred Heart and Our Lady’s Church
Newton, MA
Henry Rosenberg
Treasurer
Physicians for Social Responsibility Pioneer Valley
Northampton, MA
Paul Saint-Amand
Co-Founder & Co-Leader
Cape Ann Indivisible
Rockport, MA
Annette McDermott
Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Promoter
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, MA
Springfield, MA
Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin
President
Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & the Environment
Watertown, MA
Mohammad Bajwa
Member of the Board & Director of Interfaith Outreach
Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts
West Springfield, MA
Michael Moran
Communications Director
Pax Christi Western Massachusetts
MA
Jeff Jones
President
Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation
MA
Margaret Baldridge
Co-Organizational Secretary
Baltimore Club, CPUSA
Baltimore, MD
Andrew Busch
Rabbi
Baltimore Hebrew Congregation
Baltimore, MD
Gwen DuBois
President
Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility
Baltimore, MD
Andrea Norouzi
Clerk, Peace & Social Concerns Committee
Frederick Friends Meeting
Frederick, MD
Robert Cooke
Chair
Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore and
St. Rose of Lima Pax Christi
Gaithersburg, MD
Lucy Duff
Member
Prince George’s County Peace & Justice Coalition
Lanham, MD
John Whitehead
Advisory Board Member
Consistent Life Network
Silver Spring, MD
Tony Langbehn
Convenor
Maryland United for Peace and Justice
Silver Spring, MD
Gwen DuBois
Hub Leader
Preventnuclearwar-Maryland
MD
Douglas Dransfield
Co-Chair
Mainers Ending Nuclear Dangers
Augusta, ME
Sydney Sewall
President
Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine
Augusta, ME
Adam Toothaker
President
Veterans For Peace – Maine
Brunswick, ME
Julie Pease
Board Chair
Maine AllCare
Manchester, ME
Daniel Oppenheim
Chair, Public Health Committee
Maine Medical Association
Manchester, ME
Martha Spiess
Chair
Peace Action Maine
Portland, ME
Daniel Oppenheim
Social Action Committee
Congregation Bet Ha’am
South Portland, ME
Constance Jordan MacVane
Governance Chair
Maine Nurse Practitioner Association
Woolwich, ME
Denise Dreher
Co-Coordinator
Pax Christi Maine
ME
Keyon Payton
President
Institute of Trauma and Economic Justice
Pontiac, MI
Freeman Wicklund
President
Boundless Love Project
Lakeville, MN
Catherine Murphy
President
Minnesota Peace Project
St Louis Park, MN
David Pack
Chair of Board
PeaceWorks Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
Bert Crain
Treasurer
Physicians for Social Responsibility North Carolina Chapter
NC
Doreen Desmarais
Administrative Assistant
NH Peace Action
Concord, NH
Janet Zeller
Chair
Peace with Justice Advocates, NHCUCC
Concord, NH
Anna Nelson
Back from the Brink Hub Leader & Board Member
New Jersey Peace Action
Montclair, NJ
Robert Moore
Executive Director
Coalition for Peace Action
Princeton, NJ
Anne Wallman
Member
The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County
Teaneck, NJ
Jay Coghlan
Director
Nuclear Watch New Mexico
Santa Fe, NM
Brian Terrell
Coordinator
Nevada Desert Experience
Las Vegas, NV
Charlotte Phillips
Chairperson
Brooklyn For Peace
Brooklyn, NY
Holly Adams
Co-Convener
Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace
Geneseo, NY
John Liebmann
Chairperson
All Souls Nuclear Disarmament Task Force
New York, NY
Carol Crossed
Vice President
Feminists Choosing Life of NY
Rochester, NY
Rosemarie Pace
Coordinator
Pax Christi New York State
NY
Emily Rubino
Executive Director
Peace Action New York State
NY
Regna Merritt
Co-Board President
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
Portland, OR
Peter Bergel
Nuclear Abolition Now
Salem, OR
Peter Bergel
Treasurer
Oregon PeaceWorks
Salem, OR
Paula Paul
Chair, Nuke Committee
Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
David Gibson
Staff Co-Coordinator
Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW!
Philadelphia, PA
Christiaan Morssink
President
United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Erik Pedersen
Clerk
Schuylkill Friends Meeting
Phoenixville, PA
Paul Dordal
PNC: Stop Banking the Bomb
Pittsburgh, PA
William Waters
Member
Pax Christi Rhode Island
Rumford, RI
Marj Plumb
Executive Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility Texas
Austin, TX
Joyce Hall
Pax Christi Dallas
Dallas, TX
Marc Collonge
Secretary
Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclearism
Salt Lake, UT
Julia Hurd
Steering Committee
No More Bombs
Burlington, WA
Mark Fleming
Chapter Secretary
Rachel Corrie Chapter 109 Veterans For Peace
Olympia, WA
Beth Brunton
Chair
Earthcare not Warfare
Seattle, WA
Jim Thomas
Coordinator
Pax Christi – St. Joseph Catholic Church
Seattle, WA
Denny Duffell
Deacon
Pax Christi Northwest
Seattle, WA
Sean Arent
Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program Manager
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Seattle, WA
Lin Hagedorn
Secretary
350 Eastside
Woodinville, WA
Dorothy Wolden
President
Northland Grandmothers for Peace
Lake Nebagamon, WI
Robin Greenler
Presiding Clerk
Northern Yearly Meeting-Religious Society of Friends
Madison, WI
Marta Karlov
Executive Director
Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Paul Moriarity
President
Milwaukee Veterans For Peace, Chapter 102
Milwaukee, WI
