Statement: The Era of Unchecked, Limitless Pentagon Spending is Coming to an End

PentagonBudgetFight_TW (1)

Last Updated on July 31, 2020.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Contact: Michael Galant  galant.michael.r@gmail.com  (203) 260-4654

WASHINGTON Win Without War Executive Director Stephen Miles released the following statement regarding Congress’s failure to adopt Representatives Pocan, Lee, and Jayapal’s and Senators Sanders, Markey, and Warren’s amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would have cut 10% from the Pentagon budget:

“Just a few years ago, 93 votes in the House and 23 in the Senate — or nearly 40 and 50 percent of the Democratic Caucus, respectively —  to cut the Pentagon budget by 10% would have been unthinkable. 

“Though Congress failed to rein in the out-of-control Pentagon budget, thanks to the leadership of Representatives Pocan, Lee, and Jayapal, and Senators Sanders, Markey, and Warren, and the collective efforts of movement organizations and people across the country, we have made one thing clear: the era of limitless Pentagon funding and endless wars is coming to an end.

“In this of all moments — in the midst of a deadly pandemic, a climate crisis, and a nationwide uprising against the violence-first institution of policing — it is all too clear that shoveling limitless funds at the Pentagon cannot buy us safety. By voting against the proposal to cut 10% from the Pentagon budget and reinvest in housing, education, and poverty alleviation, Congress has chosen to double down on the failed status quo. But the fight isn’t over.

“Next year, the budget caps put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011 will come to an end and the country will have the opportunity to fundamentally reform U.S. security spending for the first time in nearly a decade. From the amendments’ dozens of supporters in Congress to an organizational letter signed by over 60 national organizations, to calls and letters from tens of thousands of Win Without War activists and beyond, we’ve shown what to expect from next year’s budget battle.

“Momentum is growing. Change will come.”

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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.

July 22, 2020