In Washington, a campaign
organizer
served Rep. Rick
Larsen "Budget Pie."
Organizers are working across the country to build support for budget committee hearings on how the federal budget could shift money from the Pentagon to diplomacy, green jobs, and human needs.
In Michigan, more than 230 local elected officials, religious leaders, community groups, and individuals urge Sen. Debbie Stabenow to hold hearings.
In Iowa, our organizer delivered this letter from nearly 100 organizations and individuals to Sen. Chuck Grassley himself. After a follow-up conference call, Sen. Grassley sent a letter to the chair of the committee asking for hearings.
In Pennsylvania, community leaders have endorsed this letter to Rep. Allyson Schwartz, and organizers have met several times with the representative herself.
Rep. Barney Frank (MA) has a detailed plan to cut $960 billion from the Pentagon budget over the next ten years. He outlined the plan on MSNBC on July 6.
Key quote: "If you don’t cut the military, deficit reduction is coming, everything else gets butchered. I think the need to make some tough choices will finally focus my colleagues on this."
Let your representative know that you want her or him to support Rep. Frank's proposal to cut the federal deficit by reducing military spending.
"The country cannot afford to write the Pentagon a blank check."
~"The Defense Budget," New York Times editorial, 2/4/10
"Less money should be spent on wars, defense," by Marie Marchand, executive director of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center and an Our Nation's Checkbook organizer. Bellingham (WA) Herald, 1/13/10
Our Nation's Checkbook is a campaign to shift federal spending priorities towards meeting the needs of people in the United States, preventing wars, and protecting the environment. We're working in key states and congressional districts to change the way this country allocates its financial resources. Find out more.
(Joe Volk in The Signal, 3/23/10)