Press Releases

WASHINGTON—Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), along with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and John Garamendi (D-CA) reintroduced the bicameral Hastening Arms Limitation Talks (HALT) Act, legislation outlining a vision for a twenty-first 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.

“The world is still moving in the wrong direction when it comes to nuclear disarmament and arms control. If we want to avoid catastrophe, the United States must take the lead in pushing for a global freeze on nuclear testing, production, and deployment,” said Congressman McGovern. “Every dollar poured into nuclear weapons pushes humanity closer to the brink and strengthens the hand of evil in the world. Senator Markey and I are calling for a renewed, 21st-century nuclear freeze movement—one that slows this dangerous arms race, upholds our treaty obligations, redirects resources toward improving people’s lives, and ultimately eliminates these weapons before they eliminate us.”

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 (CTBT); and
• Prohibition of funds to prepare for or to conduct U.S. explosive nuclear-weapon testing in fiscal year 2026 or any future year.

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