Voters For Peace: The power to end the war and prevent future wars of aggression

Drop the Military Budget

The United States is facing an economic crisis unlike any it has seen 80 years. Already trillions have been spent on the bailout by the Federal Reserve and FDIC. Congress has approved an economic stimulus that will cost more than $800 billion. The national debt is over $10 trillion and the annual deficit is over $1 trillion. How is the United States going to pay for it? How is it going to fund the new energy economy, schools, education, health care and other urgent needs? One solution: cut the wasteful and bloated military budget.

President Obama has introduced a military budget that is $21 billion larger than the Bush military budget. On top of this he is preparing to ask Congress for more war funding for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan - an additional $75.5 billion is expected. Please take action now and urge Congress and the President to reduce military spending, stop killing civilians with drones and other weapons, and end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan now!

November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Congressperson:

I am writing to urge you to reject President Obama’s increase in military spending and to urge an immediate end to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The military budget the president proposes is $21 billion larger than the budget planned by President Bush. On top of the record $534 billion DoD budget, he is going to ask for $75.5 billion more for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is time for Congress to face up to the out of control budget for weapons and war. It is time to focus on the necessities of the American people.

Please support President Obama’s plan to stop production of expensive and no longer needed weapons, but oppose the increase in production of drones. Nearly every day the U.S. hears reports of drones killing civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This undermines diplomacy as well as efforts to rebuild Afghanistan and makes it impossible to win the hearts and minds of people in the region. Every civilian killed results in new enemies for America. Such killings weaken U.S. national security.

It is also time for the Congress to hold the U.S. military responsible for killing civilians in the region. Pakistan is reporting that more than a million people are fleeing their homes because of drone attacks. This is creating a catastrophe in a country that is already verging on being a failed state. Drone attacks need to be stopped as they are counterproductive to achieving peace and stability in the region and they create new enemies. The military needs to get a clear message from Congress that killing civilians is unacceptable.

Rep. Barney Frank has called for a 25% cut in military spending. Please join him in this request. With the economic collapse and the basic necessities of the American people for education, health care, energy, housing and jobs not being met, the U.S. cannot afford to spend as much as the whole world combined on weapons and war. Such massive military expenditures undermine U.S. national security.

It is time to end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is time to bring U.S. troops home now. And, it is time to cut the military budget so that the priorities of the American people can be met.

Sincerely,

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