What's the Farm Bill Got to Do with Pentagon Spending?

By Jim Cason on 06/18/2012 @ 12:00 PM

Tags: budget

You might wonder, are we planning to hide nukes in the corn fields? Or launch soybeans at al Qaeda in Afghanistan? Well, we do hide nukes in the cornfields, and we do control drones from the prairie land where soybeans are grown (among other places). But the point here is that Senator John McCain sees the farm bill as a way to reinforce his point that the Pentagon budget should not be cut by $1 trillion--or even close.

Last week, Senator McCain filed an amendment to the farm bill that asks the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress by August 15, 2012 on the specific impacts on national security if an additional nearly $500 billion in automatic budget cuts (bringing the total to an estimated $1 trillion) are made.

Almost every week, members of Congress opposed to cutting the Pentagon budget are finding new ways to make their case.

How are those of us who think that cutting Pentagon spending is a good idea making our case?

Many of you are lobbying, I know. Every week we hear from more of you who are meeting with your members of Congress or their staff, in Washington or at home; or writing letters to members of Congress; or writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper.

As those opposed to Pentagon spending cuts get organized and make their case, it's even more important for you to lobby your senators at home before November, when this issue will likely be up for debate in the lame duck session of Congress after the election.

Then we hope you will be able to come to Washington to lobby in November and take part in our Quaker Public Policy Institute. Come learn from budget experts and experienced lobbyists and then make your voice heard on Capitol Hill.