This week, the House of Representatives narrowly passed, by a vote of 216-212, its annual military policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill would authorize an astounding $1.15 trillion in Pentagon spending. Most years, this bill moves forward with strong bipartisan majorities, so this level of debate is a real win.
Lawmakers across partisan divides are reconsidering if they should authorize a massive bill for weapons and war.
As Rep. John Garamendi (CA-8) put it, “Congress should not support blank checks, politicized defense policy, or remain silent when it has a constitutional duty to provide oversight.”
As with last week’s vote in the Senate, many members of Congress cited the illegal and immoral war with Iran in their opposition to the NDAA.
This massive bill, $1.15 trillion, would come as people are losing their food assistance and health insurance. People are going hungry and getting sick so that military contractors and weapons manufacturers can get rich.
Now the legislation is going before the Senate. That means we still have time to stop a Pentagon budget which puts fighter jets over food and battleships over families struggling to make ends meet.
Write to your senators today to demand that they reject this immoral NDAA!
Elsewhere
Pathway to status for Dreamers and others
This week, champions in the House of Representatives announced a discharge petition for the Dream and Promise Act, which would force a vote on this vital legislation. This bill would provide a pathway to permanent legal status for millions of people – including people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or other traditionally protected groups.
Part of the Trump administration’s cruelty is how they are attempting to tear apart families and communities by targeting everyone they can for immigration enforcement.
Even though the odds of passage for the Dream and Promise Act may be slim in this Congress, we aren’t going to give up our struggle to recognize the dignity and humanity of all our friends and neighbors.
U.S. bombing continues in Somalia
The longest-standing front in the War on Terror has continued – and gotten worse! While the war between the U.S. and Iran has escalated again, the U.S. has continued bombing Somalia, a conflict which began in 2006. As FCNL has written about for years, we cannot bring peace with bombs and drones in Somalia.
This conflict has been ignored even by Congress, while the U.S. military is killing people and ruining lives in Somalia. War is not the answer in Somalia, and Congress must exercise oversight and end the bombing.
People Power for Peace!
This week, the FCNL community came together for a webinar, People Power for Peace, which featured timely updates on the Iran War, reports from FCNL advocates who are organizing for peace, and information about how we’re empowering people to act during the upcoming August congressional recess.
One highlight of the conversation was hearing from advocacy teams in South Carolina and New Hampshire about how advocates can effectively recruit and mobilize faith leaders, young people, and coalition partners. Click here to jump directly to their segment of the recording.
Advocacy Teams in all 50 states and D.C. are organizing their communities to drive policy change, change the narrative around U.S. foreign policy, and show that people power can make peace possible. Learn more and join an Advocacy Team near you!
