Take action - Call-in Day December 17th to Stop New Arms Race

[Ellen Thomas]

The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia – the New START Agreement – is set to expire on February 5, 2026, a mere 50 days from now! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser National Call-in Day December 17th to Stop New U.S.- Russia Arms Race The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia – the New START Agreement – is set to expire on February 5, 2026, a mere 50 days from now! Signed in 2010, the New START Agreement limits the number of strategic (long-range) nuclear warheads and launchers that the U.S. and Russia can deploy. Here is a fact sheet that has further information on the New START Agreement.  In September, Putin invited the U.S. to join Russia in maintaining the numerical caps and measures that the New START Agreement imposes for one additional year. In October, Trump called it “a good idea.” The U.S., however, has not sent Russia an official reply to its offer, a fact acknowledged by U.S. officials. The informal extension offered by Russia is a key first step toward stabilization. The time it buys can be used for negotiations to replace the New START Agreement and stop a new nuclear arms race.  SUPPORT TRI-VALLEY CARES Our work depends on the generosity of supporters like you. Please click the link below, to make a secure, tax-deductible contribution to Tri-Valley CAREs. UPCOMING EVENTS Click here to view our calendar Share This Why Act Now?  Time is running out. And, without any New START Agreement, there will be no limits on U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles.  In the United States, hawks in the nuclear weapons labs, like Livermore Lab, and in Washington, DC will not only continue to design new warheads and launchers, but, with the demise of the New START Agreement, they will also be free to increase the sheer numbers of warheads. Dr. Strangeloves in the U.S. are already chomping at the bit. Russia will likewise be unencumbered in increasing the size of its arsenal.  The result? Rising nuclear instability and the prospects of nuclear war. How You Can Take Action: On Wednesday, December 17, Tri-Valley CAREs, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and numerous partner groups across the country are mobilizing a call-in day to urge Members of Congress to act now to ensure that the limits on nuclear weapons in the New START Agreement do not expire. Congressional offices tell us that when they receive a sustained number of phone calls in a short time, it helps to raise issues on legislators’ priority lists. (Note: If you are reading this on December 16, and want to act a day early, please do so.) Call your Senators and your Representative. You can use the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Or, click here to find your member of Congress and their direct contact information. Tell your legislators that you are joining Tri-Valley CAREs and other groups around the country to alert Members of Congress to the dangers of allowing the New START Agreement to expire.  Always mention that you are a constituent of the legislator you are calling. It’s common to do this by giving your name and zip code at the beginning of the call. As a constituent, your message will be elevated. Click this link for a sample script or use the talking points below.  Talking Points: The New START Agreement is the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia. It limits both countries to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 700 launchers. If it lapses, there will no longer be ANY legally binding caps on the size of either country’s arsenal. Diplomacy is far superior to dangerous new arms racing and should be pursued. Indeed, a successor to the New START Agreement can, and should, serve as a stepping stone to further reductions in both countries’ stockpiles. When all U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons are counted (not just the strategic, deployed warheads addressed in the New Start Agreement), the total is more than 10,000 nuclear weapons. This figure accounts for nearly 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The New START Agreement is important both for the protections it contains but also for the future negotiating opportunities its follow-on agreement could represent. Post Script: Our thanks to you, our members and friends, for taking action at this critical time to make the world less dangerous. Indeed, thank you for all you do to create peace!  We invite you to continue your journey with us at Tri-Valley CAREs as we address immediate near-term threats while always keeping our “eyes on the prize” of the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Together, we can do this! Your Year-End Donation to Tri-Valley CAREs – Now Doubled!   Tri-Valley CAREs had an amazing 2025! In a time when the risks posed by nuclear weapons are growing, Tri-Valley CAREs work is more important than ever. Our staff, board and volunteers have made great strides in 2025 (click here for staff highlights). To read more about our year, here’s a letter from our Executive Director Scott Yundt. (Or see below...)  Click Here to Get Your Donation Doubled Today!  Your donation now will support: Mobilizing the Nation on Plutonium Pit Production (PEIS) The U.S. is moving forward with a massive expansion of plutonium pit production, creating the cores of nuclear weapons, without meaningful public debate. As the federal government prepares the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), your support fuels our nationwide campaign to ensure communities speak up in force. TVC is leading efforts with partner groups across the country to bring public attention to the dangers of ramping up plutonium pit production, including: Increased radioactive waste generation Higher environmental and worker risks Billions diverted away from climate, housing, and health programs Expanded nuclear weapons capacity that moves the world further from peace Our goal is for thousands of people to comment on the PEIS and to build momentum toward a national referendum questioning whether this expansion should proceed at all. Your donation strengthens organizing in frontline communities, amplifies public education, and ensures everyday people and not just weapons contractors shape this decision. Fighting Nuclear Modernization & Protecting the Environment For more than 40 years, Tri-Valley CAREs has been the community watchdog over Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Today, as the Lab undergoes major expansions to facilitate the largest nuclear weapons modernization effort in decades, our oversight is more critical than ever. Donations support: Independent technical reviews of LLNL cleanup and Superfund decisions Community-friendly fact sheets and translations so families can understand contamination in Tracy, Livermore, and surrounding areas. Advocacy to stop weakened environmental protections Monitoring of hazardous waste, explosives testing, and groundwater pollution Public meetings, events, and outreach to keep communities informed and empowered Your dollars go directly to strengthening accountability and protecting the environment in the face of expanded weapons activities. Supporting Community Power & Environmental Justice From our mapping project in Tracy to our neighborhood walks and bilingual workshops, TVC is investing in community-driven solutions. Giving Tuesday contributions support: Spanish-language materials   Youth outreach Workshops that empower communities to participate in regulatory processes This work builds the civic power needed to protect health, land, water, and future generations. Help Us Reach Our $15,000 Goal! Your donation today helps ensure that decisions aren’t made in the dark or dictated solely by the nuclear weapons complex. With your support, Tri-Valley CAREs will continue to bring science, justice, and community voices forward.  Thanks to the generosity of the Prospect Hill Foundation’s match, every dollar you give becomes two. $25 becomes $50. $100 becomes $200.  Click Here to Get Your Donation Doubled Today!  🔗 Learn more about our mission and work: About TVC – Tri Valley CAREs  Thank you for standing with us- today and throughout the year. Your support strengthens frontline communities and keeps the call for peace, transparency, and environmental justice alive. Click here for more.... SUPPORT TRI-VALLEY CARES Our work depends on the generosity of supporters like you. Please click the link below, to make a secure, tax-deductible contribution to Tri-Valley CAREs. UPCOMING EVENTS Click here to view our calendar Our Mission Tri-Valley CAREs works to strengthen global security by stopping the development of new nuclear weapons in the US and promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons globally. Nuclear weapons decrease rather than increase human security. Nuclear weapons pose one of the great social, economic and ecological challenges of our time.  Tri-Valley CAREs Stopping nuclear weapons where they start. 4049 First Street, Suite 243  |  Livermore, California 94551 Question? Get in Touch! www.trivalleycares.org  ───  Connect with us!