Dear John,

Our taxpayer dollars should be spent on programs that help our communities and solve global problems, not on weapons, war, immigration enforcement, or prisons. But despite some important shifts in focus, today the Biden administration released a federal budget recommendation that still dedicates a huge portion of the discretionary budget to militarized responses that contribute to human suffering around the world and take resources away from things that bring true human security.

Tell Congress: Demilitarize the budget and reinvest in our communities!

Thanks to pressure from advocates like you, the proposed budget does hold some good news. The administration’s proposal increases non-defense spending by about 16%, and will make important investments in our communities. It also eliminates the "Overseas Contingency Operations" account for the Pentagon, which for nearly 20 years has been used to get around defense budget caps and fund endless wars. 

But the suggested budget still calls for a defense budget of $753 billion—an increase of about $13 billion dollars. It also seeks to slightly increase funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which houses immigration enforcement agencies ICE and CBP, and includes $1.2 billion for “border infrastructure.” After decades of runaway Pentagon spending and deadly and abusive immigration enforcement, a big change in spending priorities is needed. 

Tell Congress: Move the money to fund human needs!

Help us persuade Congress to chip away at the massive $753 billion defense budget and stop wasting tax dollars on border militarization. That money is needed to help meet people’s basic needs, bolster public health, and address climate change. It’s time to demilitarize domestic and overseas spending alike–and make better use of taxpayer dollars.

Thank you for joining us in this effort!

In peace, 

Aura Kanegis
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy