Update

On October 30, former President Donald Trump directed the U.S. military to restart nuclear weapons testing after more than 30 years of restraint. 

The future of the Selective Service System is currently being debated in negotiations over this year’s annual military policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

As the federal government shutdown continues into November, both parties appear entrenched, although bipartisan conversations are taking place. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key issues that are undergirding the impasse:

We are closer than ever to repealing the 2002 and 1991 Authorizations of Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq! On October 10, the Senate voted to repeal both these AUMFs in a bipartisan amendment to the annual defense policy bill, the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Congress passed the 2002 Iraq AUMF to authorize war against Saddam Hussein’s government. That government was toppled in 2003 and the U.S. mission in Iraq officially came to an end in 2011. The 1991 AUMF authorized U.S. military involvement in the Gulf War following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

In February 2026, the last remaining U.S.–Russia nuclear arms control agreement, New START, will expire. For more than a decade, this treaty has limited the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals and provided valuable transparency, helping to prevent dangerous escalation.

In late July, the House Appropriations Committee passed spending legislation that if enacted, would cut over $13 billion in funding from foreign aid and diplomacy, a 22% cut from current levels, and reduce

When Neil Young’s team invited FCNL to table at his shows this summer, we knew exactly what messages to uplift:

• War is not the answer
• Love thy neighbor (no exceptions)

From Michigan and Ohio to New Hampshire, New York, and Washington, hundreds of concertgoers have eagerly picked up our stickers and bookmarks – spreading FCNL’s urgent calls for peace and justice.

What does it mean to be Still Speaking Truth to Power in 2025?  

The fear, anger, and chaos of this year can feel overwhelming. Yet, as we prepare to gather in November for FCNL’s Annual Meeting, we are reminded that our vision for peace and justice is clearer and brighter than the turmoil around us.

When we asked Friends in FCNL’s network how this theme speaks to them, here’s what we heard. Share your reflections by emailing us at quakers@fcnl.org.  

On a beautiful August morning in Richmond, VA, more than twenty Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faith leaders gathered for a day of advocacy. As prayers, readings, and stories were offered from across traditions, a shared purpose emerged: to bring our faith into action for peace and an end to suffering in Gaza.  

My heart wept reading about European countries leaving the Mine Ban Treaty.

Politics and warfare have changed since its signing in Ottawa in 1997, but these weapons’ devastating impact on civilians has not.