Last year we alerted you to the Bush administration's efforts to build a whole new line of nuclear
weapons. (see http://www.8thdaycenter.org/060603.html)  Bunker Busters they were called. But
through your efforts and those of thousands of other persons, Congress recently deleted all funds
from the 2005 omnibus appropriations bill for work on these weapons. This includes funds for
the Robust Nuclear Earth penetrator (nuclear bunker busters) and for the Advanced Concepts
Initiative for new nuclear designs, which are battlefield nukes of up to 5 kilotions explosive
yield. (The Hiroshima bomb had a yield of about 12 kilotons.)

House Energy and Water Appropriations chairman David Hobson, R-Ohio, Senate Minority
Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. led the successful maneuver
to end one of President Bush's pet miitary proposals.  And they did it for all the right reasons.
(see http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~2552825,00.html)

Hobson and Democrats argued that the finished weapon, which would require $485 million to
develop into a manufacturable design, would never be used and could hurt U.S. interests in
discouraging weapons programs in other nations.

In case the U.S. Energy Department, which is responsible for research, building and testing
nuclear, or the White House is tempted to find money elsewhere to research new bomb designs,
lawmakers wrote a special restriction: Federal officials may not "reprogram" more than $1
million to these or any other projects without prior approval from the House and Senate
appropriations committees.

A hearty congratulation to all those who worked in various ways to stop this madness.

ACTION
Write/call these persons and thank them for their principled stance against this dangerous and
costly weapons program,  a program would encourage other nations to pursue their own
weapons.

Rep. David Hobson
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=465&lvl=C&chamber=H

Sen. Harry Reid
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=370&lvl=C&chamber=S

Sen Dianne Feinstein
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=347&lvl=C&chamber=S