President Obama released his budget request for fiscal year 2017 in early February, the last budget request of his term in office. The request kicks off the budget process, often serving as the starting document that Congress will use to draft the Senate and House requests.
Time is running out for sentencing reform. As election season heats up, there are only a few months left to help the people, families, and communities affected by excessive and costly prison sentences.
A new documentary renews the conversation about policing in the United States and how inappropriate military tools are for this job.
A few years ago, I traveled to Guatemala where I visited the community of Panabaj, a small Mayan village on the shores of Lake Atitlan. I was working for a humanitarian NGO that was carrying out a relief project in the aftermath of Hurricane Stan.
I’m writing this just after seeing a nicely raucous parade of protesters pass by FCNL on their way to the Capitol, shouting, “Money Out of Politics! Money Out of Politics!” You might see them on the news and wonder: What’s FCNL doing about this?
Panabaj is a tiny village in Guatemala with one big distinction: The military can never enter.
The year 2014 has been quite the year for climate action. From the EPA’s Clean Power Plan to a historic agreement reached with China, it is clear that the United States is making tangible progress in addressing climate change. Momentum has been growing, and will continue to build as we look ahead to 2015.
Last year was rife with deadly conflict. Rebellions, violent extremism, and state violence killed many and displaced more. However, there are numerous opportunities for peace in 2015. The Obama administration has shown it is willing to pursue diplomacy in some cases and peace-builders are proving that there are alternatives to war. Below are five examples where civil society and governments are working for a more secure and peaceful future.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United vs. FEC; a decision that allowed corporations to spend money to influence elections the same way that individual people can. In the last five years, corporations, SuperPACs, and wealthy individuals have stepped up campaign contributions and further solidified the role of big money in politics. FCNL continues our mission to reduce the role of big money in government, which all too often drowns out the voices of American citizens.
Last week, members of Congress finished the pertinent business to avoid a government shutdown, packed their bags and headed home for an extended winter break - but as I prepare to do the same, I am paralyzed by the thought of the refugee women and children who are spending this season unnecessarily locked up in family detention centers.
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