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Cut Military Spending This Week!
By maudeaster on 2012-07-17 11:58:29
When do Congress’ votes really matter? When they are deciding how to spend 57% of all our tax dollars! And this
week — possibly today - our Congresspeople will vote on the huge ($607 Billion!) 2013 Defense Appropriations bill, so
now is the time for us to let them know that we’d rather have them cut the Pentagon than food stamps & education. Here’s
the link I used to send them a message — please join me! http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1439/p/dia/action/public/?
action KEY=11126 Here are amendments that I want them to support:
e To get the Afghan war ended now: This bill now contains $88.4 billion more for the war in Afghanistan, so I
support 2 smart amendments: Rep. Barbara Lee’s amendment to cut all funding for the war except what is needed for
a safe and responsible withdrawal & Rep. Walter Jones & Rosa DeLauro’s amendment preventing the use of funds
past 2014 in support of any mission that does not have explicit Congressional approval.
e To reduce the outrageous profits which the Pentagon budget gives military contractors: I support our own
Congressperson’s smart amendment: Rep Paul Tonko’s amendment would limit defense contractor pay to no more
than what we pay the US president ($400K). Current huge contractor salaries are 1 reason war contractors lobby
Congress so hard to spend our dollars on their weapons.
¢ To reduce the overall Pentagon budget so that there is $ left for things which will really make our country
secure — jobs, health care and a sustainable economy: J support the$19 billion cut to the proposed military budget,
in the amendment sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee.
Interestingly, the $19 billion reduction is based on the program cuts proposed by the left-leaning Project on Defense
Alternatives and the right-leaning Cato Institute. Reorienting our economy to constructive, not destructive spending is
clearly a goal that cuts across the political spectrum!
