Norton Introduces Bill To Get Rid Of All Nukes

D.C.'s congressional voice intends to use savings on nice, non-nukey things

America's most powerful non-voting member of Congress, D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, introduced a bill Thursday that is sure to jump straight to the top of the legislative agenda, so dealing with AIG will have to be put on hold yet again.

A press release from Norton's office outlines the new major piece of legislation:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill that would require the United States to disable and dismantle its nuclear weapons when all other nations possessing nuclear weapons enact laws to do the same. The bill calls for using nuclear weapons resources instead for growing human and infrastructure needs such as healthcare, housing, Social Security and the environment.

Right, so get rid of the nukes, give the nuke money to, uh, anything else.

Norton has introduced this bill -- the "Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act" (NDECA) -- to Congress every year since 1994 "after working with the residents who were responsible for a ballot initiative on this subject, passed by D.C. voters in 1993." It's almost as if the Federal Government has ... very little respect for the residents of Washington D.C.?

It's a noble effort by Norton to keep nuclear nonproliferation on everyone's minds, but she seems to be forgetting that the United States no longer cares much for foreign policy. Iraq, Afghanistan, those things are probably still happening, and surely there are still other countries out there in the world, doing whatever. But right now, the focus is on making sure that a few robber barons at an insurance company don't get bonuses.

If we get nuked into oblivion while our backs are turned, then it will have been worth it, because the economy should be humming by then.

Jim Newell writes about warfare for Wonkette and IvyGate.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us