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E-News: FCNL Testifies before Congress, Tax Dollars for War, and More

March 26, 2009

From the Hill: FCNL Testifies Before Congress on Peaceful Prevention
Military Spending: About 43 Percent of Your 2008 Taxes Goes to War
Quote of the Week: President Obama Addresses Iranian People
Iran: U.S., Iranian Leaders Set Stage for Negotiations
Nuclear Disarmament: New Agreement with Russia Likely This Year
Cluster Bombs: National Call-In Day Is Monday, March 30
Military Spending: How Well Does It Create Jobs?
Event: FCNL Spring Lobby Days Coming Up, April 5-6
War Is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Oklahoma City, OK

 

From the Hill: FCNL Testifies Before Congress on Peaceful Prevention

"For years, the Friends Committee on National Legislation has been our national conscience on human rights and humanitarian issues," Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL) told Legislative Secretary Bridget Moix after her testimony yesterday before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. She urged the committee to help improve the U.S. ability to peacefully prevent deadly conflict by funding diplomacy, development, and international cooperation. Read her testimony, and find out more about FCNL's work in these three areas.

Military Spending: About 43 Percent of Your 2008 Taxes Goes to War

As Tax Day approaches, do you know what your tax dollars are paying for? We don't yet have enough information to do our usual comprehensive analysis, but we can estimate that about 43 percent of your 2008 income tax dollars were spent on current and past military activities. Find out more, and see four ways the United States could cut its military budget.

 

Quote of the Week: President Obama Addresses Iranian People

"My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran, and the international community. This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."

~ President Barack Obama, in a videotaped message to the people of Iran on their New Year's holiday, Nowruz. Watch the video on the White House website.

 

Iran: U.S., Iranian Leaders Set Stage for Negotiations

Addresses last week by President Obama and Iran's supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, were carefully crafted to set out expectations for negotiations and prepare the U.S. and Iranian publics for a possible rapprochement after 30 years of hostility and mutual recrimination. Read foreign policy lobbyist Jim Fine's analysis of the two speeches.

 

Nuclear Disarmament: New Agreement with Russia Likely This Year

President Obama is making a new arms control agreement with Russia a priority. The United States and Russia have both committed to move forward quickly with negotiations on a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in December of this year. START has been a cornerstone of efforts to reduce the buildup of nuclear weapons. Next week, Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet to continue these discussions. We will be looking for them to pursue a treaty that shows the world both countries are committed to the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons. Read more about the START treaty in FCNL's July/August 2008 Washington Newsletter.

 

Cluster Bombs: National Call-In Day Is Monday, March 30

Tell the Senate to give cluster bombs the boot! On Monday, March 30, people across the country will be calling their senators and urging them to support legislation that would effectively ban the U.S. use of cluster bombs. Learn more, and be part of the national call-in day.

 

Military Spending: How Well Does It Create Jobs?

Not as well as spending in other areas, according to a report from the Political Economy Research Institute. Spending $1 billion on the military creates fewer jobs than the same amount spent on health care, education, mass transit, or construction, according to institute researchers. See a handout for more on why the United States needs to re-evaluate the military budget.

 

Event: FCNL Spring Lobby Days Coming Up, April 5-6

Come to Washington in April! On Sunday, April 5, you will receive training and be briefed on Congress's legislative agenda, then meet with your members of Congress on Monday. The training sessions and lobby visits will focus on diplomacy with Iran and ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Find out more.

 

War Is Not the Answer Photo of the Week: Oklahoma City, OK

John Walters fromRepublicans against the War sent in this great photo from the Oklahoma City demonstration to mark the sixth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Order your own War Is Not the Answer sign and put yourself on the map.