End War and Occupation and Redirect Funding Issue Organizing Team
The unwinnable war in Afghanistan skews the U.S. government’s budget priorities and our military continues to occupy Iraq. Our military presence is growing in Yemen and Pakistan. The U.S. has approximately 700 military bases in 130 countries—outside of this country. Meanwhile, the health coverage compromise made in the 111th Congress—instead of Medicare for all—is under attack, and tens of millions of Americans still cannot afford basic healthcare.
PDA condemns and deplores the US/NATO-led military attacks in Libya. PDA calls for an immediate end to the attacks, and for the redirection of funds from warfare and weaponry to healthcare and other programs to meet human needs. We echo the sentiments of our National Advisory Board member Bill Fletcher, Jr. who wrote: “We are told that we face budget deficits here in the USA and that, as a result, there is no money to do anything positive, yet there are resources to launch this aggressive attack.”
We say “Healthcare NOT Warfare” and ask you to join our campaign.
We call on President Obama to fulfill his campaign commitment to withdraw all U.S. military personnel and mercenaries from Iraq within 16 months, and to resist redeployment to Afghanistan or the Pakistan border. Instead, bring the military home to their families and redirect wasteful military spending to meet human needs at home and abroad. Toward that end, we call on the Congress to use its powers to cut off funding that prolongs the military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and begin the important work of bringing peace to the Middle-East region.
We do not support Democratic leadership proposals with prolonged and porous timelines that allow tens of thousands of U.S. troops to remain in Iraq on vaguely defined “training” or “anti-terrorism” measures. Nor do we support escalation of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan; alternatively we support a political and diplomatic solution to deter terrorist activities and create a foundation for peace and democracy. PDA coordinates its “Out of Iraq and Afghanistan” efforts with dozens of Congress members, including Reps. Raul Grijalva, Lynn Woolsey, Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee, and Maxine Waters.
PDA’s Brown Bag Lunch Vigils—with partners California Nurses Association, Healthcare-NOW!, Democrats.com, War Is A Crime.org, United for Peace & Justice, CODEPINK, New Priorities Network, and U.S. Labor Against the War—aim to educate the public and our elected representatives about the costs of these wars and the better uses of our tax money for social benefits and programs, such as Medicare for All.
