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Dear John,

From Ukraine to Palestine, El Salvador to the U.S., we all deserve to live in safety and peace. But the current proposals in Congress will lead to more war, more displacement, and more migrants in dire circumstances.

That’s why we hope you will join us to tell Congress: Reject the supplemental request for military funding and oppose new draconian migration policies. [link removed]

President Biden is asking Congress for $106 billion in new funding to support the Ukrainian military and Israel’s attacks on Gaza. So far Republicans have refused to approve the request unless Democrats agree to permanent restrictions to asylum, expanded deportations and detention, and increased militarization at the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is a massive funding request. To put this in perspective, The $120 billion request for Ukraine, Israel, and migration enforcement is equal to:

*15% of the total U.S. non-military budget.

*Nearly twice as much money as the U.S. spends on both diplomacy and foreign assistance.

*More than the $85 billion requested to support education in the U.S.

In Ukraine, years of war and hundreds of billions in military support have not brought peace close. In Gaza, over 23,000 Palestinians have already been killed and 85% of the population faces famine.

Peace isn’t secured through weapons or walls, it is secured by diplomacy, engagement, and by meeting the needs of people facing poverty, displacement, and oppression. Biden’s FY24 budget request includes only $10 billion for humanitarian assistance for all other situations and only $1.1 billion to address global hunger and U.S. food security. Imagine the possibilities if that $120 billion were invested differently.

Additional funding for armed conflict will inevitably cause more people to seek safety as refugees and asylum seekers. But the migration policies being discussed will worsen situations not only for migrants and border towns, but for communities throughout the country. The Republican proposal includes higher barriers just to apply for asylum. It calls for the detention of all newcomers (including children and families). It also expands deportation for immigrants already living in the U.S.—without an opportunity to see a judge. And it cuts funding for nonprofit and faith groups providing assistance to migrant communities while adding new funding for more border walls and surveillance.

We shouldn’t be funding state violence towards newcomers in the forms of arrests, detentions, and deportations. We also should not be funding continued war in Ukraine and ongoing killing in Gaza. Instead, we should be investing in diplomacy, education, healthcare, and supporting families.

It is time to reprioritize.

Join AFSC in calling on Congress to reject the supplemental requesting for military funding and oppose new draconian migration policies. Ask them to instead invest in diplomacy and human needs both at home and abroad. [link removed]

In peace,
Mike Merryman-Lotze and Imani Cruz
Public Policy and Advocacy Office

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American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States

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