There are over 13,000 nuclear weapons on the planet, the majority of which are held by the United States and Russia. If even a fraction of these bombs were ever detonated, they would instantly kill millions and potentially trigger a global famine that could lead to the death of billions more.  

Nuclear weapons are a real and existential threat to humanity— a crisis we’ve created and can choose to end. Previously, we have had the New START Treaty between the United States and Russia to prevent the two nations from descending into nuclear war, but this treaty will expire in early 2026, creating an additional need for global denuclearization. 

Policy makers are not taking necessary steps to rid the world of the threat of nuclear war. Instead, the United States continues to hoard thousands of nuclear weapons while attacking nations that do not have weapons of mass destruction in an effort ‘to prevent other nations from obtaining nuclear weapons.’  Another way is needed.   

As a Just Peace Church, the United Church of Christ has long supported nuclear disarmament. In 2019, the UCC’s General Synod passed a resolution that called on the United States to pull back from the “brink” and prevent a nuclear war. That resolution affirmed the work of the Back from the Brink coalition, a movement endorsed by over 150 organizations, including the UCC, that seeks to educate and advocate for a nuclear weapon free world.  

 Through the work of Back from the Brink and its partners, a bill has been introduced in Congress that affirms a way forward toward nuclear disarmament. This bill – H Res. 317– has now been co-sponsored by 21 members of the House and lifts up five common sense disarmament principles:  

• Renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first;  
• End any U.S. President’s ability to authorize a first strike nuclear attack;  
• Take U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert;  
• Cancel plans to replace the nation’s arsenal with new, enhanced weapons; 
• Actively pursue a verifiable agreement among nuclear states to eliminate their arsenals.  
   

Given the ever-escalating war between Russia and Ukraine and the United States’ recent attack on Iran, now is a key time to call on Congress to support H. Res. 317 and build pressure toward a verifiable, time-bound treaty that would lead the world toward to a nuclear weapon-free future. Write to your members of Congress today to ask them to co-sponsor H. Res. 317.