Allen Hester
@nonukesplz.bsky.social
Legislative Representative, Nuclear Disarmament & Pentagon Spending @FCNL | Views are my own
If spending alone guaranteed security, America would be the safest nation on earth. But the Trump administration has proven that the military industrial complex is not creating real security. Instead of giving out blank checks to defense contractors, we must fund programs that support all Americans.
Instead of giving out blank checks to defense contractors, we must fund programs that support us all
YouTube video by Senator Markey
youtube.com
Enough is enough. Spending $1.5 TRILLION per year on weapons + war will not make us more secure. As FCNL's Allen Hester breaks down, true security comes from the very programs that would be cut to pay for more massive, wasteful military spending. ⬇️
Congress is once again debating another massive increase to the already unconscionable trillion-dollar Pentagon budget. Our message to lawmakers: ❌ Enough is enough. No to more money for war. ✅ More resources for diplomacy, cooperation, and meeting urgent human needs.
Recommendations for FY2027 NDAA | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Every year, Congress passes a major piece of legislation that sets military policy, the National Defense Authorization Act. Below are the specific recommendations that FCNL shared as Congress consider...
fcnl.org
NEW: At a time when so many are struggling to get by, the last thing our country needs is to divert even MORE of our tax $'s to war. That's why we joined nearly 300 groups calling on Congress to reject Pres. Trump's $1.5 Trillion Pentagon budget request + to instead invest in urgent human needs. 👇
Today, the world crosses a dangerous threshold. The last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia has been allowed to lapse. The expiration of New START does not make a new nuclear arms race inevitable — but it makes the path toward one far easier and more dangerous.
Quaker Lobby Urges Diplomatic Action Following Expiration of New START Treaty | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Today, the world crosses a dangerous threshold. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) has been allowed to lapse. This was the last remaining bilateral agreement between Russia and the Un...
fcnl.org
Ariel Petrovics on New START: "The choice...is not between perfect verification and no agreement. It is between maintaining a platform that can support verification in the future and eliminating the last framework capable of containing strategic uncertainty" foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/23/u...
Why Trump Should Accept Putin’s New START Offer
Extending the nuclear treaty is not about trust—it’s about pragmatism.
foreignpolicy.com
This could be a big deal: "French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is the only member of the European Union with the bomb, is expected to deliver a major speech on France’s nuclear policy in the coming weeks" www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...
Doubting U.S. resolve, Europe looks to bolster its own nuclear arsenal
The discussions have taken on new urgency as President Trump escalates his criticism of Europe. Germany and Poland already have suggested France’s nuclear weapons could be expanded to defend their cou...
nbcnews.com
New poll: 91% of registered voters think the US should negotiate a new agreement with Russia to either maintain current limits on nuclear arms or reduce them further. The last bilateral treaty constraining US and Russia nuclear weapons expires in a little over two weeks. www.nti.org/news/america...
Americans Across Party Lines Want the U.S. to Keep Nuclear Limits with Russia, New Poll Finds
As the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear limitations treaty expires on Feb. 5, an overwhelming majority of Americans (91 percent) say the United States should negotiate a new agreement with Russia to...
nti.org
Over 40 faith organizations across the United States are unified in urging Congress and the administration to pursue a diplomatic, negotiated follow-on agreement to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) before it expires on February 5, 2026. www.fcnl.org/updates/2026...
Faith Communities Urge Congress to Prevent a New Nuclear Arms Race | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Faith communities from across the United States wrote a letter calling on Congress to pressure the Trump administration to pursue a diplomatic, negotiated follow-on agreement to the New Strategic Arms...
fcnl.org
Thank you @repbillfoster.bsky.social for speaking on the house floor about the expiration of the New START treaty. It is urgent the U.S seeks a follow on agreement to limit the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.
80 years after the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we refuse to let fear dictate our future. Ploughshares is proud to stand by dozens of organizations working to ensure today’s conflicts do not become tomorrow’s nuclear catastrophes ⬇️ ploughshares.org/wp-content/u...
80 years ago, the world changed forever 🌏 We are thankful for the brave truth-telling of the survivors of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, & nuclear testing. Disarmament is not simply a goal, it is our responsibility to those who paid the highest price. Join us: #HumanRaceNotArmsRace
⚠️80 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, time's running out to prevent a new nuclear arms race. Congress must act to steer us back from the brink and toward a better future rooted in peace, security, and shared humanity. @nonukesplz.bsky.social www.fcnl.org/updates/2025...
Eighty Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, Time Is Running Out to Prevent a New Nuclear Arms Race | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Eighty years ago, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people. Eight decades after those attacks, we are once again called...
fcnl.org
New from FCNL's @bridgetmoixfcnl.bsky.social ⬇️ 80 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, "we must continue to imagine and work for a world free of nuclear weapons and the threat they pose to humanity."
RNS@rns.org · last yr.OPINION: Diplomacy is our best defense against the unimaginable. Preventing a new arms race requires courage, foresight and leadership. religionnews.com/2025/08/01/8...
We are proud to support the Investing in Children Before Missiles (ICBM) Act. As FCNL's @nonukesplz.bsky.social said, "We oppose pouring billions into new nuclear weapon systems...It’s time to end the wasteful spending on the Sentinel program and invest instead in schools and communities."
Federation of American Scientists@scientistsorg.bsky.social · last yr.@markey.senate.gov, @sanders.senate.gov, @senjeffmerkley.bsky.social, @vanhollen.senate.gov, and @rokhanna.bsky.social just introduced the ICBM Act of 2025, a move to redirect billions from the over-budget, delayed Sentinel nuclear missile program to public education.
@markey.senate.gov, @sanders.senate.gov, @senjeffmerkley.bsky.social, @vanhollen.senate.gov, and @rokhanna.bsky.social just introduced the ICBM Act of 2025, a move to redirect billions from the over-budget, delayed Sentinel nuclear missile program to public education.
"Every dollar directed to the Pentagon is a dollar not spent on affordable housing, strong schools, quality healthcare, or a more livable planet." Congress must hold the line and ensure a trillion-dollar Pentagon budget doesn't become business as usual. buff.ly/s8V5XhY
Congress Faces a Record Breaking Trillion Dollar Pentagon Budget Proposal | Friends Committee On National Legislation
The Trump administration has announced plans to request $1.01 trillion for Pentagon spending for fiscal year 2026. That includes more than two thirds of the $150 billion from the reconciliation bill…
fcnl.org
The Trump administration has announced plans to request $1.01 trillion for the Pentagon, paired with massive cuts to critical non-military programs like housing assistance, education initiatives, environmental programs, and foreign aid. www.fcnl.org/updates/2025...
Congress Faces a Record Breaking Trillion Dollar Pentagon Budget Proposal | Friends Committee On National Legislation
The Trump administration has announced plans to request $1.01 trillion for Pentagon spending for fiscal year 2026. That includes more than two thirds of the $150 billion from the reconciliation bill c...
fcnl.org
Real security does not come from more nuclear explosions, but from preventing the use of nuclear weapons altogether. Along with 15 of our faith partners, FCNL affirms that diplomacy and nuclear arms control negotiations are the path to sustainable peace. www.fcnl.org/updates/2025...
The Case Against Nuclear Testing | Friends Committee On National Legislation
During his first administration, President Trump rarely spoke about nuclear weapons, claiming he deliberately avoided the topic due to the gravity of the issue.
fcnl.org
This week's Critical State, hyping work by: - @francescadnunz.bsky.social at @texasobserver.org - @ruthmichaelson.com at @theguardian.com - Nathan Gardels at @noemamag.com - @penamerica.bsky.social - @nonukesplz.bsky.social at Inkstick - Patrick Winn at @prx.org - Plus more!
Critical State: The AI-Powered Surveillance Boom in Texas
If you read just one thing this week … read about the high-tech surveillance Texas state police have acquired.
inkstick.substack.com
Pres Trump has repeatedly highlighted the existential threat & financial burden that nuclear weapons pose. Yet as FCNL's @nonukesplz.bsky.social explains, his administration's policies are increasing -not decreasing- those threats & costs. @inkstickmedia.com inkstickmedia.com/does-trump-r...
Does Trump Really Care About Getting Rid of Nuclear Weapons?
US president Donald Trump says he opposes nuclear weapons, but his administration has taken aim at nuclear nonproliferation programs.
inkstickmedia.com
Despite Donald Trump occasionally sounding the alarm on nuclear weapons, his administration has taken aim at nuclear nonproliferation programs, writes @nonukesplz.bsky.social
Does Trump Really Care About Getting Rid of Nuclear Weapons?
US president Donald Trump says he opposes nuclear weapons, but his administration has taken aim at nuclear nonproliferation programs.
inkstickmedia.com
Nuclear threats are on the rise. But attention to the issue has dwindled. That's why @nti.org & @ploughshares.bsky.social created this great new resource to help advocates effectively communicate the need for action to protect the safe, sustainable future we all deserve. buff.ly/3n25aTP
Rewriting the Narrative on Nuclear Weapons: A research-based guide to building a safer future
For those seeking to reduce nuclear risks and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, Rewriting the Narrative on Nuclear Weapons is a practical, research-based guide designed to reverse the dominant nar...
buff.ly
This week, we joined partners for a Nuclear Threat Action Day, dropping off copies of Annie Jacobsen’s “Nuclear War: A Scenario" to raise awareness in Congress of the existential risks of nuclear weapons. We were heartened to hear the book is already mandatory reading in one House office.
Great day spreading awareness about the dangers of nuclear war on Capitol Hill, including dropping a copy of “Nuclear War: A Scenario” off with Speaker Mike Johnson’s team. #educateDONTescalate
Today Ploughshares and its partners are delivering copies of Annie Jacobsen’s recent book Nuclear War: A Scenario to every member of Congress. Please urge your representatives to read this essential book! Find your representatives here: www.congress.gov/members/find...
Congress giving more money to the Pentagon at the expense of essential social services undermines the nation’s moral and ethical obligations to its citizens. Such cuts would be devastating for millions of Americans www.fcnl.org/updates/2025...
Congress Plans to Fund War Over Supporting Citizens: The Moral Cost of Military Overspending | Friends Committee On National Legislation
Last Friday, February 21 Senate Republicans passed a $340 billion budget framework, allocating substantial funds to military spending and border security, despite unanimous Democratic opposition. This...
fcnl.org
This week, global experts warned that humanity is closer than ever to catastrophe. Among many serious threats, they warned that the militarization of AI is increasing the risk of nuclear war. Shawn Adams recently broke down what's at stake and the need for action. www.fcnl.org/updates/2024...
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists@thebulletin.org · 2y agoToday, the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board sets the #DoomsdayClock at 89 seconds to midnight. "The world depends on immediate action." Read the full statement below.
As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy today, we remember his poignant words. And we remain steadfast in our advocacy for peace, justice, and environmental stewardship as we prepare for the difficult times ahead.
