Peace: The Real Deficit Buster

For the first time in decades, real cuts in Pentagon spending could be on the agenda.
But military contractors and some members of Congress are demanding that no cuts be made in their favorite Pentagon projects.
Tell the deficit commission: Cut military spending, not Social Security

Joe Volk, Friends (Quakers) Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Recognizing that federal budget deficits will put military spending under the microscope, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has called for the Pentagon to “restrain spending.” In response, military contractors and some members of Congress are demanding that no cuts be made in their favorite Pentagon projects.

We need to mobilize thousands of concerned people to persuade Congress that deficit reduction and smart security call for real cuts in military spending.

Members of Congress should hear from you, right now. Before they return for the September legislative session, they should know that their constituents support cutting the Pentagon budget.

You can help make sure that cuts in Pentagon spending are on the table as Congress considers ways to reduce the federal government deficit. Write your representative today.

The Frank-Paul Letter

A few weeks ago, we told you that a bipartisan group of representatives—Democrat Barney Frank (MA) and Republican Ron Paul (TX) -- had presented specific recommendations for cutting almost $1 trillion from the Pentagon’s budget over the next ten years.

The Frank-Paul deficit reduction recommendations go beyond cutting the usual list of useless, expensive weapons. Instead, it proposes that the U.S. should re-think its military posture in the world to make our country safe by promoting a more peaceful world. You can find the details of their proposed military spending cuts in the report “Debt, Deficits and Defense: A Way Forward.”

Now Reps. Frank and Paul are asking their congressional colleagues to sign a letter calling on President Obama’s deficit commission to put military spending on the table. The letter will be open for signatures only until mid-September. Please ask your representative to sign it today. We think your representative might sign this letter if you and others in your district ask.

Take Action

Please contact your representative today to ask her or him to sign the Frank-Paul deficit reduction letter.
Then ask five of your family members and friends to do the same.

Background

Read the letter that Representatives Frank and Paul are circulating.
Find out more about military spending on FCNL’s website.
Read a New York Times editorial that supports Barney Frank’s call for cuts in military spending as a way to reduce the deficit.

Related:

Tell the deficit commission: Cut military spending, not Social Security, Matt Lockshin, CREDO Action

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