Similar letter to all other senators and all representatives

March 6, 2001

The Honorable Pete V. Domenici
SH-328 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3101

Re: National Missile Defense:
Attn: Elizabeth Turpen

Dear Senator:

We the undersigned representatives of faith-based organizations share the desire to keep God's people everywhere, including those in the U.S. homeland, safe from nuclear attack. However, we are deeply concerned about the haste to make a commitment to deploy unproven technology for national missile defense. We ask you to share our concerns with President Bush.

First, the real and present danger for nuclear attack on the United States comes from the several thousand Russian missiles now on hair trigger alert and thousands of Russian nuclear weapons in reserve with inadequate security. The best remedies are mutual de-alerting, strategic arms reduction, and stable control of fissile material. These opportunities could be jeopardized if the United States withdraws from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty to erect a national missile defense. Russia might then withdraw from other arms control treaties and retain multi-warhead missiles now scheduled for elimination under START II. Also, China might increase its nuclear arsenal. This would pose far greater danger to U.S. homeland security than the remote threat of a few missiles a small nation might develop years from now.

Second, heavy emphasis on unproven anti-missile technology to counter a speculative future threat from a few small nations neglects other elements of a comprehensive non-proliferation strategy. More promising methods include international monitoring of nuclear test explosions, rigorous fissile material control, stringent missile technology control, diplomacy, financial assistance to nations cooperating in nuclear non-proliferation, and countering social, economic, and political instability that provides the breeding ground for terrorist groups

Third, we are seriously concerned about budgetary implications. Since 1983 the United States has spent $69 billion on national missile defense, enriching major defense contractors but producing no effective system. President Clinton's plan, which President Bush has criticized as inadequate, would cost $60 billion. Indications are that the layered approach President Bush favors could cost more than $100 billion. A budgetary commitment of this magnitude along with the tax cut now working its way through Congress would preclude achieving the goal of "Leave No Child Behind" and dealing with other urgent domestic needs.

For these reasons we ask you to urge President Bush to pull back from the dangerous rush to a premature decision on national missile defense and withdrawal from the ABM Treaty.

Respectfully yours

Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey, Executive Director
Alliance of Baptists
(organization listed for identification only)

Curtis Ramsey-Lucas
Director of Legislative Advocacy
National Ministries
American Baptist Churches

Ken Sehested, Executive Director
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

David Radcliff
Director of Brethren Witness
Church of the Brethren General Board

Greg Laszakovits
Director, Washington Office
Church of the Brethren General Board

Tiffany Heath
Interim Legislative Director
Church Women United

Gary Baldridge
Global Missions Coordinator
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Rev. Lonnie Turner
Washington Office
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Joel Heim, Moderator
Disciples Peace Fellowship

Thomas H. Hart
Director of Government Relations
Episcopal Church, USA

Rev. Mark Brown, Assistant Director
International Affairs and Human Rights
Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Ronald J. Sider, President
Evangelicals for Social Action

Mary H. Miller, Executive Director
Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Murray Polner, President
Jewish Peace Fellowship

Rev. Carroll Houle
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

J. Daryl Byler, Director
Washington Office
Mennonite Central Committee, U.S.

Howard W. Hallman, Chair
Methodists United for Peace with Justice

Rabia Terri Harris, Coordinator
Muslim Peace Fellowship

Brenda Girton-Mitchell, JD
Assoc. General Secretary for Public Policy &
Director of the Washington Office
National Council of Churches

Nancy Small, National Coordinator
Pax Christi, USA

Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.

L. William Yolton
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

Ann Rutan, csjp , President
Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace

Rev. Meg A. Riley
Washington Office for Faith in Action
Unitarian Universalist Association

Ron Stief
Justice and Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ

Jim Winkler, General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church

William J. Price
World Peacemakers

This letter was facilitated by:

Howard W. Hallman
Chair, Methodists United for Peace with Justice
1500 16th Street
NW, Washington, DC.
Phone/fax: 301-896-0013
Email: mupj@igc.org