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It’s been a month since Congress came to its senses and ended the unnecessary federal government shutdown that turned families’ lives upside down and cost our economy millions of lost days of work.Now it’s time for our lawmakers to – finally – get down to business, and we can make them do it.As part of the October budget deal that re-opened the federal government, Congress established a joint House-Senate budget committee to find a path forward. The committee is meeting now, and their report is due to the House and Senate by December 13. That gives lawmakers just one month to consider the recommendations of the committee and pass a budget before the short-term continuing resolution expires on January 15, 2014. December and January might sound far away, but the committee is meeting now and making decisions about the programs we care about now. One decision they should make is to get rid of the misguided across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, which began in March. The effects of sequestration have been painful so far, and they will only get worse over time. Congress must support a transparent appropriations process that ends sequestration once and for all. Want to make sure low-income women, infants, and children have access to the food they need? Want to protect access to services for domestic violence survivors? Want to stand up for quality public education and safe school climates Then we need to contact our senators today and urge them to pass a budget that ends sequestration once and for all. Congress should resist calls to enact “flexibility” or exempt defense spending when it comes to sequestration. Congress must end sequestration, period. The AAUW Action Fund Lobby Corps delivered this message to senators this morning, and now it’s time for you to drive it home. Please, take two minutes to urge your senators to support a transparent appropriations process that ends sequestration! |
Tag Archives: Military budget
Guns vs. Butter — why we need to cut military spending and invest at home instead
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Dear Friends, Many of you called my offices last week to comment on my recent appearance on New England Cable News, in which I called for significant cuts to military spending. I believe there is no reason we should continue to spend money as if we were still fighting the Cold War when there are so many pressing needs at home. Some people have asked where they can find the video so they can share it with friends. NECN has posted it here.
Please join my efforts to cut excessive military spending in order to protect the things we care about at home.
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a message from Barney Frank
Here we go again – at least here I go again, and I hope you can join me.
In January I announced that I would run for reelection in 2012 because I want to fight for the values I have been committed to throughout my career. The events in Washington since that time have reinforced my view that those values are under greater attack than at any time in my life.
Over the past few weeks, Congress has gone through a bizarre, grueling, and ultimately very sad budget process. This has been a disaster for those who believe that we have the capacity as a people to come together and cooperate on measures that are essential to improving the quality of all of our lives.
Republicans are attempting to weaken the financial reform bill we passed last year, and the far right has succeeded in passing through the House budgets that will re-deregulate derivatives and to weaken the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
At the same time, they resisted any effort to make significant cuts to our swollen military budget. Instead, they chose to inflict enormous harm on virtually all domestic programs, proudly stating that they had debated the entire US government in less than three days. I stood up in the House late at night after a marathon debate and I denounced their orgy of self-congratulation over their senseless budget cutting. http://images.myngp.com/LinkTracker.aspx?crypt=IVi0ax2%2b6UBSinc%2fCPYaKdaJwsMh0V5KnXpbYo0o6usIzZHtMm7avT6xh2PId64V3H1TXg9cveHz4X4iWQX%2f8nWBmlzPYqFO9PL61K1FacAU6VN1fqldK8%2fB3jnGOwZrHdqMotfOShGgWdUy45CNXMIOiDGBo%2fQ1q6IH2PgZSlM%3d
But the battle is not over — we will spend the next two years and more fighting this gross distortion of our budget priorities and of our values. I will give everything I can to this effort, and with your help I will do so through 2012 and beyond.
Last year, you helped me defend against coordinated attacks by national right-wing organizations which had been empowered to spend freely on elections by the recent Supreme Court decision. Because it was such an especially expensive campaign year, I am writing earlier than usual to ask if you can help me begin to payoff campaign debts – including one to myself – and to start to accumulate the funds that I will need to withstand another coordinated nation-wide right-wing assault in 2012.
It’s flattering to be the focus of the Right’s unhappiness, but it’s also expensive. I would be grateful if you would help provide me with what I need to fight back.
Be a Seed for Change 
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