Fund Healthcare Not Warfare

Background

In March 2020, Massachusetts Peace Action initiated its Fund Healthcare Not Warfare campaign (FHCNW). The campaign brings together health and peace advocates including nurses, physicians, home care attendants, researchers, public health experts, state legislators, single-payer activists, educators, unions, and recipients of health care services.

Advocates from these diverse communities serve to educate MAPA’s membership and the general public through webinars and panels on the link between health care and the military budget.

All members of the FHCNW coalition agree that the bloated Pentagon budget harms the well-being of our communities and families by diverting resources away from healthcare, public health, research, and policy response.

As a major aspect of our advocacy, we are members of the Mass-Care coalition, the Massachusetts advocacy organization that campaigns for Medicare for All. We also collaborate with organizations including the American Public Health Association, the Massachusetts Public Health Association, Massachusetts Nurses Association, Physicians for a National Health Program, Code Pink, and National Nurses United.

FHCNW works to refocus national security away from war, militarism, nuclear weapons buildup, and regime change, toward urgent health concerns such as pandemics, maternal mortality, infant mortality, preventive care, and insurance access.

The United States spends more on the military than any other nation. The Defense Appropriations Act of 2024 allocates $825 billion, exceeding the next nine countries combined. This overspending diverts funds from human security needs such as healthcare, food, and environmental protection.

Roughly 30% of the Massachusetts state budget comes from federal funding. When federal priorities favor military spending, fewer resources remain for healthcare and public health. Advocacy is needed to change this imbalance.