Military Spending Bill to House Floor

Posted by CODEPINK Staff

The House Appropriations Committee approved the annual military spending bill today, sending it to the full House for approval. They lamented having to shave $9 billion off of Obama's request, but they still managed to find $17 billion more than last year's budget for endless war.

For those keeping track at home, the numbers publicized today do not account for all taxpayer money wasted on the "Global War on Terror." See, when you put the CIA in charge of drone attacks on a sovereign state, you can ignore Congressional oversight or public disclosure of the actual cost.

So, yay, they've acknowledged that recruiters might be lying, since veterans face high levels of unemployment once they return to the States. And though Republicans think it would be heresy to offer help to the rest of the unemployed, they seem to be willing to fund a program to help unemployed vets.

But, they continue to spread the malicious lie that the deficit is the greatest threat to security here in the US. We should all attend in-district meetings to let them know that the lack of funding for schools, the ever-rising cost of healthcare, and pernicious unemployment are the true threats to human security.

At least our country's mayors understand the connection between the endless wars abroad and the lack of money here at home. They're meeting this weekend in Baltimore and the Metro Economies Policy Committee will be reviewing the War Dollars Home Resolution. You read that correctly. Our mayors understand that the choice to leave the US military, contractors, and over-bloated embassies in Iraq and Afghanistan directly impacts the ability of the federal government to fully support vital domestic needs, like promoting job creation and developing a new economy based on sustainable, renewable energy.

Can you get to Baltimore this weekend to join us as we support the passage of this historic resolution? We're co-sponsoring a Teach-In on Friday and Poor People's Human Rights March on Saturday. We look forward to being in action with our sister CODEPINKers and the Maryland Fund Our Communities Coalition.