"Rising Defense Budgets are Not a New Law of Physics"

This was the message from Dr. Cindy Williams in her testimony in the Senate Budget Committee today at a hearing entitled: "Defense Budget and War Costs: An Independent Look." Another witness, Dr. Gordan Adams, stated explicitly: "...the defense budget should not be exempt from a freeze."

In his opening statement, Chairman Conrad (ND) pointed out that Defense spending is taking an ever-growing portion of federal government spending; it is higher in the President's budget request for FY2011 than peaks during the Reagan build-up, the Korean War and the Vietnam war.

The Our Nation's Checkbook campaign led by FCNL, has been working to change this imbalance in spending. We, along with organizers around the country and a coalition of national organizations, are pushing for hearings in the House and Senate Budget Committees on spending priorities, recognizing that the budget committees are really the place where spending priorities are set. Today's hearing was not the hearing we asked for, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

Chairman Conrad (ND) recognized the critical responsibility of the budget committees, saying: "This is the Budget Committee and we have a responsibility to take the President's budget request and rework it and turn it into a budget resolution that considers all the trade-offs that we confront." Dr. Adams pointed out the risks of a rising defense budget very clearly: "An unconstrained defense budget is likely to make draconian choices in all other areas of discretionary spending necessary." As the Pentagon budget increases, other spending priorities are being squeezed.

Human needs, the environment and efforts to prevent war are absolutely essential to create real security in this nation and around the world. These priorities cannot take back seat to more Pentagon and war spending. As evidenced by the hearing today, there is a growing movement even within Congress to reevaluate Pentagon spending. Check out recent Our Nation's Checkbook successes and join the campaign to reprioritize federal government spending by emailing Stephen at stephen@fcnl.org.

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Shouldn't there be more than one diplomat in Botswana?

If a bill the house passed last week goes through the Senate, an expanded foreign service presence in neglected parts of the world as well as many other delights might become a reality. Find out more in this chat Maggie and I had with Trevor:

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The lost podcast

Ok, so Maggie and I recorded this podcast with Trevor over week ago, and here it finally is. Sorry for the delay! In it we discuss the war supplemental, as well as the pragmatism that is necessary for working with Congress.

The good news is, Congress hasn't taken much action since we recorded it (they have a week off for Memorial Day while the rest of us have one day), so it's still fresh.

Enjoy.

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Obama makes a speech, Congress hires diplomats: Podcast

This week we present a very special hybrid podcast. We wanted to talk with deadly conflict prevention specialist Trevor Keck so much that we chucked half of our agenda and brought on his.

Enjoy as we share reactions on Pres. Obama's speech and get excited about more diplomats and other civilians sent abroad. Listen in!

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War is Not the Answer shows up on the National Stage...kind of

Our message was featured on the cover of The Atlantic the other day...well something like that. The cover article is "Why War is His Answer" referring to John McCain and his perspectives on war. It is a good article that gives insight into McCain. Check it out. Even though I just know the writer of the story saw one of our beautiful War is Not the Answer signs and ripped off our slogan and then negated it (well maybe not), I think it is good to talk about why increasing the size of the war machine is the only option both parties are looking at. Literally, both major parties advocate for increasing the size of the military.

When the military is the only program getting adequate federal funding, how do we expect to solve any of our problems with other means besides the military? How can anything but war be the answer when all that we are preparing for is war?

We have to put our money where our mouth is. We have start funding programs that are actually create peace. I had dinner with a friend that has worked in the State Department for a long time and he was saying that they have been chronically underfunded for a long time now, longer than Bush's administration. Obviously, the problem reaches beyond bad policies of the current administration, it is an indicator in a flaw in our national thinking. As a nation, we assume that the military is the most important national priority. We rely on it to solve a great deal of problems that should never be in its realm of responsibility.

So, moral of the story, we need to keep up our quest to get Congress to fund development, the State Department, the UN, and other means that could actually create peace!

-Stephen

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