If this horrific coronavirus pandemic has shown us anything, it is that national security involves a lot more than bombs, missiles, tanks, submarines, nuclear warheads and other weapons of mass destruction.
Yet, in the midst of a pandemic and an economic meltdown, Republicans and Democrats want to pass a record-breaking $740 billion military budget, even before taking care of the millions and millions of Americans who are suffering right now.
Wrong!
We have to get our priorities right.
That is why I have introduced legislation to cut military spending by 10 percent and to use those savings to invest in jobs, education, housing and health care.
My amendment to the upcoming defense spending bill could happen as soon as tomorrow. So before the Senate reconvenes for this debate and vote, I am once again asking you to make your voice heard:
Please add your name: Say you support my amendment to reduce the Pentagon budget by 10 percent and invest that money in health care, education, and housing.
The time is now to wage a moral and political war against war itself.
The time is now to address the true causes of war: poverty, hatred, hopelessness and ignorance.
The time is now to cut military spending and use that money for human needs.
How can it be that we have enough to spend more on defense than the next eleven countries combined, but we don’t have enough to make sure every American child has a roof over their head and enough food to eat?
As a nation, our priorities have become horribly distorted. Congress listens to the lobbyists from the powerful defense industry and ignores the pain of so many who are suffering during this historic time.
At this unprecedented moment in American history, the time is NOW to bring people together to fundamentally alter our national priorities and rethink the very structure of American society.
My amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act will do just that. My amendment cutting the military budget by 10 percent and investing that money into communities across the country is a modest way to begin that process.
And that is why I am asking:
A great nation is not judged by the size of its military budget, it is judged by how well it treats its weakest and most vulnerable citizens.
Thank you for adding your name to our fight.
In solidarity,
