U.S. mayors back push to halt nuclear arms race

The U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously adopted a resolution June 7 in Long Beach, California, urging the U.S. to lead a global effort to stop and reverse the nuclear arms race. The vote elevates local pressure on Washington as the New START treaty has expired and cities compete with nuclear modernization for federal dollars.

Why it matters: - The U.S. Conference of Mayors made nuclear arms control an official policy priority for more than 1,500 American cities. - The resolution links nuclear spending to city budgets, arguing that federal resources should go to municipal aid, housing, and other domestic needs. - The vote adds pressure on Congress and the Trump administration as the last U.S.-Russia arms control treaty has expired.

What happened: - The U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously adopted the resolution on June 7, 2026, at its annual meeting in Long Beach, California. - The measure is titled “Urging the United States to Lead a Global Effort to Halt and Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race.” - The conference’s resolutions become official USCM policy. - The USCM is the official nonpartisan association of more than 1,500 U.S. cities with populations above 30,000.

The details: - The resolution says more than 12,000 nuclear weapons remain in the global arsenal and still pose an intolerable risk to humanity. - The resolution says New START expired on February 5, 2026, leaving no limits for the first time in 50 years on deployed U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons. - The resolution says President Trump’s proposed 2027 budget would raise U.S. nuclear weapons spending by 12% to maintain and modernize the nuclear triad. - The resolution says the proposed 2027 federal budget would bring total U.S. war spending to $1.5 trillion and cut programs important to cities. - The resolution says modernization programs in the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the U.K. violate Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Article VI disarmament obligations. - The conference called on the administration to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear war, move the world back from the nuclear brink, and halt and reverse a new global nuclear arms race. - The conference urged Congress to pass H. RES. 317 and S. RES. 323 on nuclear arms control. - The conference called on member cities to raise public awareness about the dangers of nuclear war and the need for U.S. leadership on eliminating nuclear weapons. - The conference invited member cities to join Mayors for Peace and help the group reach 10,000 city members. - The conference called on the administration and Congress to weigh the costs of nuclear modernization against municipal priorities such as Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnerships.

Between the lines: - The resolution turns a national security issue into a local government budget argument. - Mayor Lacey Beaty of Beaverton, Oregon, the lead sponsor, said the measure reflects the cost of war in human lives, family sacrifice, and community resources. - Mayor Adena Ishii of Berkeley, California, said Berkeley’s status as a Nuclear Free Zone shaped her support for the resolution. - Jackie Cabasso of Mayors for Peace said the wars in Ukraine and Iran have worsened global security; that is a political assessment, not a USCM finding. - The sponsor list shows the resolution drew support from mayors in Oregon, California, Minnesota, and Illinois.

What’s next: - USCM members are expected to use the resolution to push local outreach and public education on nuclear risk. - The resolution gives mayors a policy basis to lobby Congress for the two named Senate and House measures. - Mayors for Peace will continue recruiting cities toward its goal of 10,000 members. - As of June 1, 2026, Mayors for Peace had 8,579 member cities in 166 countries and territories, including 245 U.S. members.

The bottom line: - America’s mayors are asking Washington to put nuclear arms control and city spending needs ahead of another round of weapons buildup.