LETTER TO CONGRESS: "More Testing, Not Bombs"

I'm grateful to see that 29 House members have demanded a reduction in defense spending (at last) as the country addresses public health needs and the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. From their letter to the House Armed Services Committee:

In the last three years alone—during a time of relative peace—we have increased annual defense spending by more than $100 billion, almost 20 percent. This has occurred during a period without any military action authorized by this Congress. Right now, the coronavirus is our greatest adversary. It has killed more than 90,000 Americans, far surpassing the number of casualties during the Vietnam War. We must remain focused on combating the coronavirus and not on increasing military spending that already outpaces the next 10 closest nations combined (China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil). At some point, spending more than every other nation on Earth must be enough.

America needs a coronavirus cure, not more war. We need more testing, not more bombs. In order to reopen our nation in a data-driven, safe manner, we need to focus our spending efforts on the millions of additional coronavirus tests and tens of thousands of additional contract tracers we will need, as well as covering treatment costs, developing therapeutics, and distributing future vaccines. (From "Common Dreams," 5/19/20)

"At some point, spending more than every other nation on Earth must be enough."  I'll be forwarding this post, in a letter, to my Congressman, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.  

Congressman Chris Pappas
323 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515

I'll be asking why he wouldn't want to join the other 29 in signing this letter and signaling his brave support for meaningful change and systemic healing.  I hope you'll see about doing the same for your own representative.  See if she's on the list of 29.  If she is, thank her.  If she's not, write her a letter.  Ask her to sign on!

Representative Barbara Lee of California writes: "Year after year, the Pentagon budget

has inflated to historic levels while the vital needs of everyday people are left unmet.  The Covid pandemic has laid bare how America has failed to make its budgets reflect the real needs of our everyday families. It's long past time that we address our bloated military budget and retarget resources towards policies and programs that matter the most for keeping us safe, healthy, and secure."

Isn't time Congress responded to brave iniitiative and prophetic leadership?