Background

Advocacy Teams form a powerful network of advocates across the country. This year, we’re working to rein in Pentagon spending.

The Trump administration may believe that violence and its threat is enough to advance U.S. interests, but few policy experts or military leaders agree. Instead, they argue that an “America first” approach will be more expensive, feed cycles of crisis that allow extremism to thrive, and put U.S. troops in needless danger.

Senators Ben Cardin, Todd Young, joined by Senator Thom Tillis and several others, introduced the Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (S.1158). The bill:

Preventing genocide and mass atrocities advances U.S. national security interests, saves taxpayer dollars, and saves lives. As Syria demonstrates, the outbreak of atrocities leads to significant consequences, feeding into the possibility for repeated cycles of violence. The outbreak of such violence also undermines American leadership, values, and economic interests.

John Huyler, a member of Boulder Friends Meeting, shares his journey to Friends and FCNL.

Bob Schultz, a member of FCNL’s General Committee and a dedicated citizen lobbyist, has been working for years to cultivate bipartisan political will to address climate change in Congress.

The House Climate Solutions Caucus is a bipartisan group of legislators that meets regularly to advance climate solutions. The mission of the Climate Solutions Caucus is to educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and to explore bipartisan policy options that address the impacts, causes, and challenges of our changing climate.

We’re excited to sponsor and participate in Ecumenical Advocacy Days, a gathering of hundreds of people of faith for advocacy and education. This year’s theme is Confronting Chaos, Forging Community.

April is Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month. Last year, we commemorated the month through a series of posts remembering the devastation and lives lost to genocide and mass atrocities in the past. This year, we will commemorate Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month by highlighting current conflicts where the ongoing atrocities urgently demand an effective U.S. government response.

Legislation in both the House and the Senate threatens to legitimize settlements in U.S. policy and suppress political criticism of Israeli settlements policy.