Cut the military budget!

From FCNL:

The Senate is scheduled to vote later this week on a $445 billion military appropriations bill including another $50 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additional military spending will be voted on later this fall in separate bills for nuclear weapons programs ($17 billion), military construction ($10 billion), and military housing allowances ($13 billion).

All total, U.S. military spending will account for well more than half of all of the discretionary funds that Congress has to allocate this year, and will exceed the military spending of almost all other nations combined.

Meanwhile, Senators Frist (TN), Santorum (PA), and others are saying Congress will have to cut spending on other ongoing government programs in order to pay for hurricane relief. Later this month, Congress is expected to consider a budget reconciliation bill to cut spending by $35 billion over the next five years from Medicaid, food stamps, and other vital anti-poverty programs. Senator Stevens (AL), Chair of the Appropriations Committee, stated that military spending would be off limits for cuts.

Blank check for the military? More austerity for the poor?

Act Now: Please contact your senators immediately. The vote on the “defense” appropriations bill (HR 2863) will likely be this Thursday (10/6) or Friday (10/7). Urge them to vote no. Congress must stop giving a blank check to the military.

Go here to send a message to your Congresscritters.