On June 12, The US Conference of Mayors, the nonpartisan association of 1,408 American cities with populations over 30,000, unanimously adopted a resolution “Calling on the Administration and Congress to Step Back from the Brink and Exercise Global Leadership in Preventing Nuclear War.” This resolution, among other things, “calls on the United States to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear war by renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first; ending the sole, unchecked authority of any president to launch a nuclear attack; taking U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; cancelling the plan to replace its entire arsenal with enhanced weapons; and actively pursuing a verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.” It was introduced by Des Moines Mayor, Frank Cownie, and co-sponsored by 25 other mayors across the country. The full text of the resolution can be found here.
The US Conference of Mayors has been a strong voice for sensible changes in nuclear weapons policy and spending and a redirection of resources to other critical domestic priorities. With some $1.2 trillion in proposed nuclear weapons spending over the next 30 years that voice is more important than ever. The policy positions adopted at the annual meeting collectively represent the views of the nation’s mayors, and the passing of this resolution represents growing support throughout the country for changes in nuclear weapons policies.
