Peace Action – 2010-06-12 00:28:35
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/06/08-11
WASHINGTON (June 8, 2010) — A new report from the Sustainable Defense Task Force, formed by House Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) identifies reductions in Pentagon spending while maintaining strong defense capabilities as the best response to the nation’s mounting fiscal restraints.
These options cover the full range of Pentagon expenditures including procurement, R&D, personnel, operations and maintenance, and infrastructure. They apply to strategic and conventional forces, as well as command, support, and infrastructure.
“Leaders from the left, right and center agree on two major policy changes: the US deficit must be reduced and the Pentagon budget can reverse its exponential growth while keeping Americans safe,” claimed Paul Kawika Martin, policy and political director of Peace Action (the nation’s largest grassroots peace organization) and a member of the task force.
WHAT: Chairman Barney Frank and other members of Congress address the release of a new report that identifies options for reducing military spending; outlines Pentagon contribution to cutting deficit.
WHEN: 10 AM — 11 AM, Friday, June 11
10:00 Remarks by Congressman Barney Frank and other members of Congress 10:15 Panel
• Laura Peterson, senior policy analyst, Taxpayers for Common Sense
• Lawrence Korb, senior fellow, Center for American Progress
• Carl Conetta, Project on Defense Alternatives
• Chris Preble, director, Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute
10:30 – 11:00 AM: Questions & Answers
WHERE: US Capitol. Visitors Center. Rm. HVC-215. Entrance at intersection of First & East Capitol streets
WHO: The task force was formed in response to a request from Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), working in cooperation with Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC), Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), to explore possible defense budget contributions to deficit reduction efforts that would not compromise the essential security of the United States. The report will be released at a briefing on Capitol Hill on June 11th.
The Sustainable Defense Task Force
• Benjamin Friedman — Cato Institute
• William Hartung – New America Foundation
• Christopher Hellman — National Priorities Project
• Heather Hurlburt — National Security Network
• Charles Knight — Project on Defense Alternatives
• Paul Kawika Martin — Peace Action
• Laicie Olson — Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation
• Miriam Pemberton — Institute for Policy Studies
• Prasannan Parthasarathi — Boston College
• Winslow Wheeler – Center for Defense Information
• Christopher Preble — Cato Institute
• Carl Conetta — Project on Defense Alternatives
• Lawrence Korb — Center for American Progress
• Laura Peterson — Taxpayers for Common Sense
Affiliations are for identification purposes and do not imply organizational endorsement of the Task Force findings.
Founded in 1957, Peace Action, the United States’ largest peace and disarmament organization with over 100,000 members and nearly 100 chapters in 34 states, works to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs and encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights.
CONTACT:
Peace Action: Paul Kawika Martin, (951) 217-7285, pmartin@peace-action.org
Project on Defense Alternatives: Charles Knight or Janet Picinich, (617) 547-4474 or pda@comw.org
