Garamendi, founders of the Nuclear Weapons Congressional Group, introduce the HALT Act
Congressman John Garamendi, co-founder of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group and senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, joined Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Don Beyer, Senator Edward J. Markey and Senator Jeff Merkley, to reintroduce the bicameral Hastening Arms Limitation Talks Act which outlines a vision for a 21st Century freeze on the testing, production and deployment of nuclear weapons.
The reintroduction of the HALT Act comes at a time of reckless nuclear policy from the Trump administration, with President Trump threatening to resume nuclear testing and the last U.S.-Russian arms reduction treaty — New START — on the verge of extinction.
Specifically, the HALT Act would make it U.S. policy to seek negotiated steps to reduce the number and salience of nuclear weapons, including:
• An agreement on a verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and further deployment of all nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles;
• An agreement by the U.S. and Russia on a follow-on New START agreement to reduce nuclear arsenals and cover new kinds of strategic weapons;
• U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; and
• Prohibition of funds to prepare for or to conduct U.S. explosive nuclear-weapon testing in fiscal year 2026 or any future year.
In addition to Congressman Garamendi, Congressman Don Beyer, Senator Edward J. Markey, and Senator Jeff Merkley are all co-founders of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons Control Working Group.
Click here to read the full text of the bill.
