Diane Randall / Friends Committee on National Legislation – 2012-12-06 00:47:01

http://fcnl.org/r/B/MjQ1OTUy/NDUzMjY/0/0/aHR0cDovL2Zjbmwub3JnL2FjdGlvbi9jb3VudGRvd24vIyEjIQ

(December 4, 2012) — Congress will likely be voting this month on a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff.” Right now, the negotiations are centering on taxes and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. But the question of how much to cut the Pentagon to reach a deal is still being debated. Please call your members of Congress today toll-free at 877-429-0678. Urge them to insist on $1 trillion in Pentagon budget cuts over 10 years as part of this deal.

Congress has two major deadlines looming before the end of December, deadlines that could shape federal taxes and spending for years to come.

1. Unless Congress passes legislation to cut the federal budget by the end of December, automatic, across-the-board cuts of more than $100 billion in current spending kick in for 2013. (You’ve heard this described in the media as “sequestration”).

2. The Bush-era tax cuts are also set to expire at the end of 2012. Ending these tax cuts could contribute significantly to lowering the deficit and meeting the needs of our communities.

FCNL constituents have been leaders in lobbying for $1 trillion in Pentagon budget cuts. We see this lobbying — your calls, visits and emails to members of Congress — having an impact. It is important to keep this message getting to Congress right now. Please call your members of Congress today at 877-429-0678 and tell them the Pentagon is the first place that Congress should look for savings of $1 trillion.

• Military spending has doubled in the past 10 years.2 Thirty-seven cents of every dollar you pay in taxes this year goes to fund current and past wars.

• The Pentagon routinely receives more money than it needs in its budget. This year it is holding more than $100 billion in unobligated (surplus) funds.

• Waste, fraud, and abuse are a serious problem. In one year, the Pentagon loses, wastes or misspends more than the combined budgets of 5 other departments: State, Interior, Commerce, Justice and Energy.

Just three weeks ago, 325 FCNL supporters brought this message to more than 130 congressional offices on Capitol Hill. Our lobbyists are reinforcing those messages about cutting the Pentagon. Your calls today build on the momentum of this lobbying. Call 877-429-0678 and ask your members of Congress to support cutting the Pentagon budget by $1 trillion over the next 10 years as part of any budget deal.

Over the past months and even years, we have worked with you to shift US investments from war to peace and better meeting the needs of our community and the world. Now, we only have a short window of time left to influence these negotiations. Please call today — and forward this message to others in your meeting, church, peace group or neighborhood to encourage them to call as well.

Diane Randall is the Executive Secretary of FCNL.