The Milwaukee Back from the Brink Resolution                

The Milwaukee Common Council calls on the United States to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear war by:

Nuclear Weapons Stockpile

The world currently has approximately 12,000 nuclear weapons, 90% of which are in the stockpiles of the US and Russia. Approximately 900 in the US and 900 in Russia are located on missiles that are on high alert and can be launched within minutes. Once launched, these missiles cannot be recalled, disabled or intercepted.  If a bomb) were detonated above the city of Milwaukee, WI, over one quarter of the city’s residents would die immediately, and another two quarters of the residents would suffer serious injuries.

A limited war could result in the immediate deaths of 20 million people and climate disruption leading to agricultural failures and the starvation of 2 billion people. A full scale nuclear war between the US and Russia could result in hundreds of millions of deaths. It could also result in a nuclear winter and collapse of agriculture, worldwide famine and the end of civilization as we know it.

Geopolitical Conflicts, Human/Technical Error:Since the 1950’s, there have been numerous instances of accidents and near launches of nuclear weapons due to technical and human error. Modern cyberterrorism and geopolitical conflicts further increase the risk of a nuclear attack. Foreign policy experts say that because of these risks, the safest route is to eliminate all nuclear weapons.

Costs: The Congressional Budget Office estimates the ten year cost of US nuclear forces from 2023 through 2032 will be $75.6 billion dollars a year. To end extreme poverty by 2030 would cost about $70  billion per year. Based on Milwaukee’s per capita income, residents paid $108 million in federal income tax  for the US nuclear weapon programs in fiscal year 2024.

Back from the Brink Campaign

The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force in 2021, making nuclear weapons illegal. However, the 9 nations with nuclear weapons did not join the Treaty. The Back from the Brink campaign is a grass roots effort to convince our US government to join the Treaty by urging cities, counties and states to speak out. Back from the Brink Resolutions have been passed by 78 US cities and counties and 6 state governments.. including Madison and Milwaukee County. The Resolution calls on US leaders to:

• Actively pursue a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
• Renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first (which China has done).
• End the sole, unchecked authority of any U.S. President to launch a nuclear attack.
• Take U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger (high) alert.
• Cancel the plan to replace the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal with enhanced weapons.

ALD. DIMITRIJEVIC, BAUMAN, MOORE, AND BURGELIS

Substitute resolution relating to the City of Milwaukee’s position on U.S. nuclear disarmament.

Number

241660

This resolution urges the U.S. Congress and the U.S. President to pursue policies of nuclear disarmament.

Whereas, Nine nations collectively have approximately 12,000 nuclear weapons in their arsenals, most of which are far more destructive than those that killed hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945; and

Whereas, The detonation of even a small number of these weapons could have catastrophic human and environmental consequences that could affect everyone on the planet; and

Whereas, The United States continues to reserve the right to use nuclear weapons first, which reduces the threshold for nuclear use and makes a nuclear war more likely; and

Whereas, The U.S. President has the sole and unchecked authority to order the use of nuclear weapons; and

Whereas, The United States maintains several hundred nuclear missiles in underground silos and on submarines on hair-trigger alert, capable of being launched within minutes after a presidential order, which greatly increases the risk of an accidental, mistaken or unauthorized launch; and

Whereas, Over the next 30 years, the United States plans to spend an estimated $1.7 trillion to replace its entire nuclear arsenal and the bombers, missiles and submarines that deliver them, with more enhanced versions; and

Whereas, Taxpayers spend over $2 million every hour of every day to maintain the U.S. nuclear arsenal; and

Whereas, Milwaukee residents (based on their per capita income) paid $108 million in federal income tax dollars for the US nuclear weapon programs in fiscal year 2024 (tax year 2023); and

Whereas, Federal funds are desperately needed in Milwaukee for health care, affordable housing, education, food security and development of sustainable energy sources; and

Whereas, The United States, as well as Britain, China, France and Russia, are obligated under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to take concrete steps toward eliminating their nuclear arsenals; and

Whereas, In July 2017, 122 nations - but not the United States - approved the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on January 22, 2021, making it illegal under international law to develop, test, produce, manufacture, or otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and

Whereas, A grassroots campaign called “Back from the Brink” has been endorsed by over 465 health, environmental, academic, peace, faith, and justice organizations; and

Whereas, Over 80 U.S. municipalities, counties and states have adopted resolutions supporting Back from the Brink’s policy solutions, including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Madison, Milwaukee County, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Tucson and Washington, D.C.; and

Whereas, Milwaukee citizens voted overwhelmingly, by a ratio of more than 3 to 1, in a 1982 referendum to freeze nuclear weapons production; and

Whereas, Since 2006, the City of Milwaukee has been a member of Mayors For Peace, which has endorsed the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and

Whereas, The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in September, 2021, endorsing Back from the Brink’s five policy solutions to prevent nuclear war; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that it is the City’s position that the United States must urgently pursue policies of nuclear disarmament, including:

•                     Securing a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.

•                     Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first.

•                     Ending the sole, unchecked authority of any president to launch a nuclear attack.

•                     Taking U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert.

•                     Cancelling the nation’s plan to replace its entire arsenal with enhanced weapons.

 and, be it

Further resolved, That the City of Milwaukee calls on the U.S. Congress and the U.S. President to pursue these policies and to embrace the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and, be it

Further resolved, That the City Clerk shall forward copies of this legislation to Milwaukee’s delegation to the U.S. Congress and to the U.S. President.