Dem proposes nuclear disarmament

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) thinks Iran shouldn’t be the only country to dismantle its nuclear program.

Norton introduced a bill this week that would require the U.S. to negotiate an international accord to disable its nuclear weapons program by 2020. The funds used for maintaining nuclear weapons would be instead directed toward such domestic programs as Social Security, housing assistance and environmental protection.

The D.C. delegate has introduced the bill in every session of Congress since 1994 and unveiled it again this year to coincide with Earth Day.

{mosads}”As the United States seeks to eliminate the nuclear threat from Iran, our country, with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, should lead by example by reducing our already unnecessarily high number of warheads, and move toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons,” Norton said in a statement.

Norton’s bill would be enacted when the president certifies to Congress that all countries with nuclear weapons have eliminated their stockpiles.

The framework for a nuclear deal with Iran announced by international negotiators would reduce the country’s uranium stockpile and number of centrifuges. Negotiators are still working toward a final agreement to be announced by June 30.