ACTION ALERT: It’s Budget Season.
Tell Congress to Divest from War
Women’s Action for New Directions

WASHINGTON (June 13, 2022) — This week, Congress is beginning to deliberate on President Biden’s budget recommendations for 2023. The top-line budget offered by the White House — a horrendous $813 billion, mostly for weapons and war preparations — outlines general priorities, and Congress is now responsible for planning specifics.

Your elected officials serve on the Appropriations, Budget and/or Senate or House Armed Services Committees, making them the first set of budget decision makers. They need to hear from you as they begin this process.

$813 billion to an agency with a long record of waste, fraud, and abuse is the definition of excess. This exorbitant increase from the 2022 budget is concerning on its own, but several members of Congress are already insisting that the defense top-line should be even higher. As the budgeting process begins, Members will face increased requests from the arms industry to add tens of billions of dollars to this already massive amount.

Our communities are starved for investment as the Pentagon budget increases without scrutiny. We must demand significant Pentagon budget cuts in order to address the most pressing issues facing our country, including climate change, infrastructure, education, and more.

Experts at the Congressional Budget Office have found that the Pentagon budget could be cut by $1 trillion dollars over the next decade without impacting our military readiness.

Join us in demanding a $100 billion dollar cut to Biden’s egregious top-line request and a reinvestment in community needs.

It’s a critical moment for your voice to be heard by these influential committee members.

THE LETTER:
It’s Past Time to Cut the Pentagon Budget

Dear [elected official],

As your constituent, I am reaching out to ask that you support efforts to reduce defense spending in the 2023 budget. Your committee assignments give you the power to influence our budget priorities to address the most pressing issues facing our country. It’s absurd to watch Congress fail, time and time again, to address key human security issues climate change, gun violence, and infrastructure, while sending blank checks to the Pentagon with bipartisan ease.

The Congressional Budget Office has reported that Pentagon spending could be cut by $1 trillion over the next decade without sacrificing our military readiness. That sort of savings would make a world of difference on issues that impact Americans every day. In line with their recommendations, I ask that you support efforts to cut the Pentagon budget by at least $100 billion this year.

At a minimum, I implore you to reject efforts to raise the Pentagon top-line above President Biden’s already massive request of $813 billion dollars, which DOD officials have repeatedly stated is sufficient to meet our defense needs. Publicly stating your opposition to increasing military spending would be an influential step in finalizing a 2023 budget that meets the needs of your constituents.

Stay tuned throughout the next several months for updates on the 2023 budgeting process, and for further opportunities to urge your elected officials to prioritize human needs over excessive military spending. We cannot do this work without you!

In solidarity,
Women’s Action for New Directions
528 Oklahoma Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002