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Mass. Reps Split on Military Budget Rollback Vote
February 21st, 2011
At 1 a.m. Saturday morning, the House voted 344 to 76 to reject the amendment offered by Representatives Barbara Lee (CA) and Pete Stark (CA) that would have insisted that cuts to the Pentagon budget be a significant part of any effort to control deficit spending. Massachusetts Reps. Olver, McGovern, Frank, Tierney, Markey, and Capuano voted for this measure, but Reps. Neal, Tsongas, Lynch, and Keating voted no.
The Pentagon budget is one of the first places representatives should start if they are looking for ways to reduce wasteful spending. Military spending has doubled in the past ten years and the Pentagon has a history of enormous cost overruns. The Pentagon has also never had a full audit that makes it accountable to Congress and taxpayers.
The bad news is that a majority of representatives aren’t yet willing to substantively scale back this massive Pentagon budget, even though many of them support deep cuts in most other areas of federal spending.
The good news is that 76 members of Congress – including both Republicans and Democrats – have now gone on record in favor of Pentagon spending cuts. Your response to this vote can help to influence how your representative will act in the next two years when Pentagon spending cuts are proposed again. Please contact your Rep. with thanks if he voted yes or complaint if s/he voted no.
Our Nuclear Age: Peril and Promise
February 20th, 2011
The 25th Anniversary Norris and Margery Bendetson EPIIC International Symposium
Wednesday, February 23
Thursday, February 24
Friday, February 25
Saturday, February 26
Sunday, February 27
Click here for Registration Information. Reduced rate if you mention you are a Peace Action member: $10/panel, $15/day, or $50 for the entire symposium.
Stephen Kinzer on Iran, Egypt and US
February 19th, 2011
Stephen Kinzer, veteran New York Times correspondent and author of All the Shah’s Men as well as other books on U.S. foreign policy, spoke for Massachusetts Peace Action on February 16 at Suffolk University. “Americans see the world as a place to be managed– that is too egocentric,” said Kinzer, and urged that Americans think about foreign policy in terms of long-term interests, not short-term stability. He was introduced by Valerie Epps of Suffolk’s International Law concentration. Mahsa Rouhi, Harvard Kennedy School Ph.D. candidate, was respondent, and Shelagh Foreman of Peace Action moderated the conversation, which drew about 40 people.
Video of Kinzer’s talk is posted in three parts. Part 1 is below. For Parts 2 and 3, go to http://www.blip.tv/file/4785081 and
The solution in Afghanistan: Get out
February 18th, 2011
By James P. McGovern and Walter B. Jones
No one, it seems, wants to talk about the war in Afghanistan. This week the House debated a budget bill that is touted as reflecting new fiscal restraint, yet borrows tens of billions more for the war. In an hour-long State of the Union address last month, President Obama devoted less than one minute to the conflict. Given the investment and sacrifices our country has made for nearly 10 years, the phones in our offices should be ringing off the hook with calls from those who are tired of being told that the United States doesn’t have enough money to extend unemployment benefits or invest in new jobs.
Our Nuclear Age: Peril and Promise
February 17th, 2011
The 25th Anniversary Norris and Margery Bendetson EPIIC International SymposiumFebruary 23-27, 2011 Institute for Global Leadership, Tufts University Most events are at Cabot Intercultural Center. Wednesday night and Friday afternoon events are at the Alumnae Lounge, Aidekman Arts Building. For the full conference program, see: http://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/programs/epiic/symposium Please call 617-354-2169 for information on reduced rates available to Mass. Peace Action members. |
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| Abolish nuclear weapons • Stop the Afghanistan war • Fund our communities, not war |
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