The People’s Budget Goes To Washington

Join us at the Capitol in DC on Tuesday December 10 – International Human Rights Day. We’re calling for major cuts (25 to 50%) in runaway military spending in order to meet dire needs at home – in human services, jobs, and the environment.We will hold a news conference at 10 AM at Congressman John Conyers’ office, 2426 Rayburn House Office Building. (Allow a half hour to get through security.) Peace, anti-poverty, environmental,and community activists will speak at the press conference, highlighting critical community needs that should be funded instead of dangerous and wasteful military spending.  Please contact Mark Dunlea (dunleamark@aol.com; 518 860-3725) if your organization is interested in speaking.

There will also be a group photo op for those who’d like to participate, from 9:20 – 9:30 AM at the Capitol’s East Front, House Triangle, near Independence Ave. SE and New Jersey Ave., Washington, DC.

We encourage people to bring pictures or drawings of something you personally are sacrificing in order to maintain the massive military spending that Congress is planning. Bring it folded in a pocket or back pack. Larger signs are not allowed inside the Capitol complex.After the news conference the groups will deliver copies of a sign-on letter and petitions to members of the Congressional budget committee, particularly chairpersons Sen. Murray and Rep. Ryan.Please consider setting up appointments to meet with your own Congress members in addition. More than 120 organizations have signed the letter and more than 6,500 people have signed the petition. Please share the petition with colleagues and friends so we  can reach 10,000 signers byTuesday.Media reports indicate that the budget committee is nearing a two year deal to be voted on Dec. 13.  The deal would boost military spending by reducing the cuts under sequestration by half.  Meanwhile the deep cuts in SNAP will not only continue but will be become larger.Please urge your members to contact Sen. Murray and other key congressional members to tell them to cut the Pentagon so we can feed the people.Groups initiating the campaign include the Backbone Campaign; Coalition Against Nukes; Code Pink; Fellowship of Reconciliation, Freepress.org; Hunger Action Network of NYS; Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space; Green Shadow Cabinet; Hip Hop Congress; Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution; No FEAR Coalition; Organic Consumers Association; Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign; PopularResistance.org; Roots Action; and US Labor Against War.