After an intense day of training in alerting senators and representatives about dangers of nuclear weapons and power plants, five persons from PeaceWorks-KC went to congressional and administrative offices during “DC Days.” The June 8-13 experience in the nation’s capital brought challenges, joys, and exhaustion.
Hear four of our five DC Days travelers on Wednesday, July 9, 7-8:30pm, in Conover Hall, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church. Their theme: Stop the New Nuclear Arms Race! Those reporting on July 9 will call on participants to email or write the NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration) by July 14 to oppose expansion of plutonium pit production—the making of new cores for nuclear weapons in two projected sites.
The delegates to DC Days, held annually by the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, benefited from a $2,400 scholarship from ANA for the four younger members and a $500 donation from PeaceWorks-KC. This lobbying effort was the 17th for Ann Suellentrop; the first for Mitch Schiller; and the third or fourth for Breanna Crawford, Kimmy Igla, and Louisa Olarte.
Breanna Crawford reflected after DC Days: “This year was another wonderful learning experience. I really appreciate the opportunity and to be able to connect to those who have been personally impacted for generations. Ending the nuclear arms race and waste should not be ignored. The reality of what radiation/exposure does to the human body and our environment is NOT A JOKE .. NOR SHOULD IT BE PRAISED! It is imperative that we educate and we fight!”
Kimmy Igla made these points: “I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from other organizers, and how they handle the counter-narrative of the nuclear lobby in their communities. In our meeting at the office of Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA), the aide mentioned that they’ve been taking meetings with NASA telling them information that doesn’t align with what Physicians for Social Responsibility’s independent studies have found. Our advocacy in the room is necessary, otherwise the perpetrators of this nuclear harm will rewrite the story as they see fit.”
Luisa Olarte said: “Being part of DC Days and advocating in Congress has been one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had. I met incredible people, all with powerful stories and a shared passion for building a world free from nuclear weapons. We engaged in conversations with congressional offices, calling for the reauthorization and expansion of RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act), support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and real action on nuclear contamination and environmental injustice. It was a powerful reminder that collective voices can drive real change. I’m leaving DC inspired, informed, and more committed than ever to keep fighting for justice and a safer future for all.”
Mitch Schiller offered these comments: “The best thing about DC Days this year was tapping into an ecosystem of anti-nuclear activists from all walks of life, learning so much from them, and coming home with a renewed sense of urgency, understanding, and righteous fury at a government willing to poison its own people and destroy others for profit and hegemony. The hardest part was being in the belly of the beast while ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) went to war with our neighbors in Los Angeles and used a WMD-style lie about Iran’s sovereign nuclear program to launch a coordinated war against a country of 90 million people.
“I am happy, humbled, and proud to know that there are people here leading the fight from the ground up to stop the US from destroying the world. The issue has never felt more critical.”
Ann Suellentrop made these points on what a team leader is and how well Kimmy Igla did: “Kimmy was team leader on 3 meetings this year. A team leader organizes (before the meeting) which ANA member will speak on what topic and in what order during the half-hour meeting with the congressional aide. This happens in the pre-meeting. During the meeting, she explains to the congressional aide what ANA is and takes notes while each member takes their turn speaking. She gives written materials to the aide and makes sure to ask for a photo with them. After the meeting, she conducts a debrief with the ANA team, fills out the meeting report and turns it in to ANA, and sends a thank you and follow-up email to the aide.”
Ann also said: “We saw a new film called To Use a Mountain about Reagan signing the bill in 1982 that started the search for a permanent repository for all the waste from nuclear energy reactors. DOE (Department of Energy) looked at sites in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Utah, Washington state, and finally settled on Yucca Mountain in Nevada. At every site where DOE tried to force the people to accept the deadly nuclear waste, the people fought back. Ian Zabarte is in the movie, and I noticed his title is Principal Man of the Western Tribe of the Shoshone. There was a panel after the movie — the filmmaker was the moderator and there were four indigenous people on the panel. One woman on the panel was so moved by the film she cried. It was a very meaningful evening.”
(c) 2025, Ann Suellentrop, Jane Stoever, Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 International License.