Starving the Hungry to Feed the Pentagon

By Katherine Philipson on 05/16/2012 @ 04:59 PM

Tags: War Is Not the Answer, budget

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed its plan to spare the Pentagon from mandatory cuts by instead slashing food stamps, Medicaid, and other programs for people in the U.S. who are struggling.

In order to stave off the first $50 billion in reductions to Pentagon growth required under the Budget Control Act, the House proposed to slice $261 billion from investments in our communities over the next decade. Our budget lobbyist, Ruth Flower, has more detailed analysis the House proposal here.

The New York Times reports

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would push 1.8 million people off food stamps and could cost 280,000 children their school lunch subsidies and 300,000 children their health insurance coverage through the federal and state Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The House budget would shrink investments in education by 48 percent and transportation infrastructure by 28 percent compared to 2010 levels. Moreover, the elimination of the Social Services Block Grant program would drain funding Meals on Wheels, day care for children, and transportation for the elderly and disabled, harming 23 million people.

Though the House plan stands little chance of passing as written in the Senate, senators are under increasing pressure to roll back Pentagon cuts. This proposal indicates what could be possible if we don’t start to bring ballooning Pentagon spending under control.

Right Now, Your Action Matters More Than Ever

From Maine to Ohio to Washington State, FCNL supporters are meeting with their senators’ local offices to call for keeping the $1 trillion in cuts to projected Pentagon spending, as required under current law.

While we may not have the dollars of Pentagon contractors, we still have something they don’t: our collective power as voters. Studies show that direct meetings with constituents are much more influential in shaping the opinions of members of Congress than visits from professional lobbyists.

From May 28th to June 1st, your Senators will be home on recess. It’s not too late to request a visit - check out our tips here. You can also sign up here to receive reminders during our Week of Action for a Peaceful Budget this coming Memorial Day.

It’s time to stand together for programs that support the most vulnerable among us. Let’s send a clear message to the Senate: cut the Pentagon instead.