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Hey friends,
Today’s newsletter is not the usual campaign update. Today, I want to have an honest conversation with you about money, about foreign policy, and about what it actually means to represent Virginia’s 1st without strings attached.
You’ve heard enough politicians dance around the hard stuff. I want to make my stance clear because you deserve to know where I stand.
When I say no AIPAC money, I’m not making a statement about one lobby. I’m making a commitment to every family in Virginia’s 1st: no foreign policy money, no war lobby money, no exceptions because those dollars have a price tag you and innocent people around the world pay.
“Every dollar from a foreign-policy lobby is a dollar that comes with a foreign-policy demand. I answer to you; not to any lobby that profits from endless war.”
AIPAC Isn’t Just a Lobby. It’s a Test.
Most candidates who refuse corporate PAC money still quietly accept checks from AIPAC-heavy donors and the military-industrial complex. Some draw the line at oil companies and big pharma and stop there. I don’t - no corporate PACs are funding this campaign.
AIPAC spent over $100 million in the 2022 midterms alone, more than any other outside group, specifically to defeat progressive candidates who questioned U.S. military aid policy. It spent over $14 million in the recent Illinois primary [ [link removed] ], fueling misinformation. That is not a domestic issue. That is a foreign-policy lobby buying seats in Congress to protect a foreign policy that costs American taxpayers billions every year. They’re getting ready for Virginia and we are hitting the ground to be ready for them.
I name AIPAC specifically because silence is complicity. My opponent can’t - and won’t - say the same.
They have no problem spending tax dollars to kill students in a school in Iran and patients in hospitals in Gaza. Meanwhile, we’re told there’s no money to build schools or hospitals right here at home. In 1961, President Eisenhower warned about this military industrial complex as a threat to democracy and he was right.
No Foreign Policy Money. No War Lobby Money. Full Stop.
This campaign refuses every dollar from every lobby that profits from U.S. military spending or seeks to direct American foreign policy in its favor. That means:
These aren’t ideological choices. They are financial ones. The math is simple: every dollar Congress sends to a weapons manufacturer or a foreign ally without conditions is a dollar that doesn’t go to a school lunch, hospitals, or a bridge in Virginia’s 1st.
The War Budget Is Your Cost-of-Living Problem
The connection between foreign-policy lobbying and your grocery bill isn’t abstract. It’s a direct budget line. This is why gas is $4/gallon. Congress cannot simultaneously fund an $858 billion Pentagon budget, $3.8 billion in unconditional military aid, and also afford expanded Medicaid, universal pre-K, or housing vouchers. The money has to come from somewhere and it comes from you.
Here’s what independence from the war lobby makes possible, not someday, but as immediate redirected priorities:
🏥 Fully Fund Community Health Centers
Virginia’s rural and underserved communities have 1 provider per 3,500 residents. Just 1% of the military aid budget could fund 200 new clinics.
🍽️ Universal School Meals in Virginia’s 1st
Every child eats free. Zero paperwork, zero stigma. The cost? A rounding error compared to the Pentagon’s travel budget.
🏠 Emergency Rental Assistance
Eviction filings in Virginia are up 34% since 2022. A $500M emergency fund, less than one F-35 contract, could stabilize thousands of families.
My Pledge to Virginia’s 1st
I will never accept money from AIPAC, defense contractor PACs, or any lobby that profits from American military spending. And I will say that out loud, every time, because the people who want that money would prefer I stay quiet about it. Our campaign is about leading - not following.
Time is Running Out
March 31st is our end-of-quarter fundraising deadline, and in politics, those numbers matter. When the reports go public, they tell every donor, every opponent, and every political observer whether this movement is real. Coming in strong this quarter sends a message that people-powered campaigns can compete without war lobby money. Every dollar you give before midnight on March 31st counts toward that number. Your donations help us order thousands of palm cards that we take canvassing, hundreds of yard signs supporters put up, and pay our staff who are working day and night to win.
👉 Donate Now: Every dollar fuels our movement to fight against endless wars.
👉 Volunteer: Help us organize for a future that invests in people, not war.
Together, we can build a campaign rooted in people, not power, and a future that reflects that. It’s really simple: your money should build your future, not fund someone else’s war.
And I’ll make sure of it.
Salaam Bhatti
Candidate for Congress
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