E-News: Your Week of Action Stories
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June 1, 2012
Legislation to cut Pentagon spending by $1 trillion over the next 10 years has become law. Now we need to persuade Congress not to reverse those cuts. This week many of you took part in our Action Week to encourage senators to support Pentagon cuts.
Cutting the Pentagon Budget: Your Stories
This week we heard from many of you who spoke to senators or their staff about why the Pentagon budget should be cut. Here are some of the stories we've heard. 
Richard Tillotson, an author and long-time FCNL volunteer, visited Washington, DC and had a 30-minute meeting with his senator, Daniel Inouye (HI), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. He was able to talk with Sen. Inouye about why Pentagon budget cuts matter and the effect they would have on jobs.
Raelyn Joyce was among the Michigan Quakers and peace activists who met with staff in their senators' state offices this month. They delivered a petition asking Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin to support cuts to the Pentagon budget and invited the senators to their Hiroshima Day event in August.
Jack Lorts, the mayor of Fossil, OR, spoke with Sen. Ron Wyden about Pentagon budget cuts at a dinner and town hall meeting.
What is your story? Whether you were able to visit your senators' offices this week, write a letter, or tell your friends about why Pentagon cuts affect other priorities you care about, your advocacy makes a difference. We want to hear from you! Send a brief email with what you've been doing to jimcason@fcnl.org, and look for more stories of advocacy in future newsletters.
Wrapping Up this Week of Action
In case you missed any of this week's actions, here's a summary.
- On Monday, thousands of people urged their senators to cut the Pentagon and help veterans.
- On Tuesday, you heard about why your voice is so important for your senators to hear right now.
- On Wednesday, we shared this quiz about the many groups and individuals who think the Pentagon budget should be cut by $1 trillion over the next 10 years.
- On Thursday, you heard about a question you could ask your friends: "What is the most important thing for our city, state, or federal government to be spending money on right now?" Did anyone hear about Pentagon spending?
See the full summary of this week of action.
Next Stop: Washington, DC in November
Will you be in the right place at the right time this fall to cut Pentagon spending? Your action this week helps keep a focus on Pentagon cuts. It will also be critical for Congress to hear from you this fall, just before we expect votes on whether to roll back Pentagon cuts. Join FCNL in Washington for our first ever Quaker Public Policy Institute and Lobby Day, November 15-16, 2012. Find out why this isn't an event you want to miss, and register today.
