Washington is broken — there has been no real debate on the $126 billion requested to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet $33 billion is being cut from vital programs — from heating oil for poor families to milk for infants to Pell grants for college students. We have a new opportunity to pressure Congress and this time it is with our city mayors.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has agreed to champion a War Dollars Home resolution if we get enough mayors to co-sponsor the resolution by May 17. We have 6 short weeks to gather co-sponsors so the resolution can be presented at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting in Baltimore, June 17-21. If it passes, it will be delivered to members of Congress. Help us get your mayor to tell Congress “Bring the War Dollars Home, Fund Local Needs!”
U.S. Conference of Mayors Draft Resolution
CALLING ON CONGRESS TO REDIRECT MILITARY SPENDING TO DOMESTIC PRIORITIES
WHEREAS, the severity of the ongoing economic crisis has created budget shortfalls at all levels of government and requires us to re-examine our national spending priorities; and
WHEREAS, an inordinate level of military expenditure is being made by the U.S. federal government for warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
WHEREAS, the people of the United States are collectively paying approximately $126 billion dollars per year to wage such warfare; and
WHEREAS, this warfare creates great and unnecessary harm to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and to the U.S. military personnel and their families.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Congress to oppose all legislation that provides further funding of U.S. warfare and military occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Congress to take immediate action to terminate funding of these military operations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on the U.S. Congress to bring these war dollars home to meet vital human needs, promote job creation, rebuild our infrastructure, aid municipal and state governments, and develop a new economy based upon renewable, sustainable energy.
Ask your mayor to send notice of his/her support to C.J. Minster at CODEPINK, cj [AT] codepink.org or 310-827-4320. For more information about CodePink, visit <www.codepink4peace.org> or <codepinkalert.org>.
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