John,

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act—the annual plan for the U.S. Department of Defense. Included in the bill was President Biden’s plan to increase wages for servicemembers and civil federal workers, but it also paves the way for massive handouts to military contractors that do not enhance our security.

About half of the military budget goes to federal military contractors—who have been shown to price-gouge U.S. taxpayers by up to 40%.¹ That’s billions of dollars that needs to be invested in our communities to pay for essential programs such as SNAP, early childhood education, housing assistance, and providing health care to millions of low-income adults and children.

In addition to throwing money at price-gouging contractors—who pay historically low taxes—the House-passed bill also cuts funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and would stop climate change mitigation. Among other restrictive measures, the NDAA for FY2024 eliminates all armed forces diversity, equity and inclusion offices and related personnel, bars federal funding from being used to teach critical race theory, and bars funding for drag shows or similar events.² An amendment passed by one vote would prevent the Department of Defense from carrying out Biden administration executive orders to reduce the impact of climate change.

Poverty and attacks on diversity weaken our national security. Chip in $5 today as we take our fight to the Senate to demand investments in human needs, not handouts to military contractors.

The NDAA passed by the House is nothing more than right-wing extremists pushing their ideology into “must-pass” legislation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion and dealing with climate change make us stronger as a country in the same way that fighting poverty does—and all strengthen our national security.

The House has made their stance loud and clear. Now the bill moves to the Senate where we will continue to push for decreased funding to price-gouging contractors and for increased funding to vital human needs programs.

Donate $5 to fund the fight ahead.

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Thank you for all you do to support vulnerable communities,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ Weapons contractors hitting Department of Defense with inflated prices for planes, submarines, missiles
² House supports a 5.2% pay raise in its draft Defense policy bill, but slashes diversity initiatives