What will it take for politicians to get the message that Pentagon spending is out of control? Yesterday, President Obama released a budget that ignores automatic spending cuts and proposes more than $600 billion for war and weapons. They won’t get the message unless we deliver it to […]
President Obama finally submitted his two-months-late budget request to Congress today, and unfortunately it shows that the administration is not grappling with the need to make serious reforms to the Pentagon budget. If you ever thought the budget process was confusing, this year will make your head spin. […]
The administration and many members of Congress have insisted that the US’s targeted killing program focuses on surgical strikes against Al Qaeda leaders and “associated forces,” with the utmost care given to avoiding civilian casualties. New information uncovered by McClatchy confirms what outside experts and advocates have long […]
We’re on The Hill’s Congress blog today talking about how Congress needs to face reality and make smart, strategic reductions to the Pentagon budget: What glaring oversight was a top driving factor in Congress’s failure to avert $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts? As the partisan posturing drags […]
The response to our action alert asking senators to oppose a new bill that is a backdoor to war has been tremendous. Our supporters have sent almost 10,000 messages and counting. But some senators are going to argue that they are not taking us further down the slippery […]
Proliferation of drone technology is a major concern that has been given far too little attention as the US ramps up its use of armed and unarmed drones. Without international standards around their use, and with a dangerous precedent being set by the US, arms control experts worry […]
The Obama administration is reportedly revisiting the idea of arming rebels in Syria. Stephen Walt at Foreign Policy highlights some misconceptions about this potential approach to the conflict: This is the logic presented by former State Department official Frederick C. Hof, who told the New York Times that “the odds are very […]
I’m going to tear my hair out if I have to hear any more false complaints about what Pentagon budget cuts would supposedly do to our security—everything from making us a “second rate” power (after what country?) or a “hollow force.” It turns out there’s a reason we […]
The so-called “fiscal cliff” has been averted—for now. While most of us were celebrating and blissfully ignoring congressional drama, the House and Senate passed a year-end deal that primarily addressed the issue of taxes. The Washington Post gives a rundown on the deal here. If you’ve been following […]
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is offering an amendment to end the war in Afghanistan, and the Senate could vote very soon. Please call your senators now and tell them to vote YES on Sen. Merkley’s amendment to end the war in Afghanistan. Congressional switchboard number: 202-224-3121. Find your […]
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