For Immediate Release
Contact: Carley Towne | CODEPINK co-director | [email protected]
CODEPINK condemns bipartisan House Armed Services Committee vote to add $37 billion to 2021 Pentagon budget and urges Congress to reallocate funds to address the climate crisis
Today, the House Armed Service Committee (HASC) voted to adopt an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would increase the Pentagon budget by $37 billion from the year prior.
Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-Founder, said “Unbelievable. After wasting over $2 trillion on the Afghan fiasco, the House Armed Services Committee just voted to give the Pentagon $25 billion MORE than the enormous 2022 Pentagon budget Biden had asked for. Talk about corruption! Look no further than our Congress!”
In light of the United States’ troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Pentagon budget should reflect a bare minimum corresponding $50 billion reduction and not a transfer of our military spending focus to the Asia-Pacific.
Carley Towne, CODEPINK National Co-Director, said “A day after the United States withdrew from one of the most costly wars in history, the absolute LAST thing Congressional representatives should be doing is increasing the Pentagon budget and lining the pockets of private military contractors. Add to that the fact that we're facing COVID, an ongoing climate catastrophe, and a struggling economy and it's clearer than ever that we cannot allow our representatives to continue down the path of costly and destructive U.S. militarism. We need to slash the Pentagon budget and invest in what will truly make us safe: healthcare, a green new deal, and public housing.”
As Congress considers the National Defense Authorization Act, we call on our representatives to reduce the Pentagon budget by at least 10% and instead invest in what will truly make us safe: universal healthcare, good jobs, and addressing the climate crisis.
Act Now:
It’s now more important than ever to contact your representatives and send them the CODEPINK guide to Pentagon budget cuts to demand that they show their support to reduce the Pentagon budget and invest in human needs!
