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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest Releases
Making news? The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate . If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly.
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| OCTOBER 26, 1998
5:28 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Peace Action Van Gosse, 202-862-9740, ext. 3002, or Sheila Dormody, 202-862-9740, ext. 3006 |
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| Peace Action Group's Peace Voter Campaign Enters Final Election Push as Congress Throws More Money at the Pentagon | ||||
| WASHINGTON -
October 26 - Peace Voter organizers across the country are using Congress' latest Pentagon
pork fest to highlight the need for real debate on budget priorities during the '98
election. Peace Action, the national organization coordinating Peace Voter '98, denounced
the last-minute influx of $9.2 billion into military coffers provided for in the emergency
supplemental spending bill recently passed by the Congress. "This Congress has been more about finding pork for pet projects and weapons contractors than actually providing leadership on the tough issues Americans care about," said Peace Action organizing director Van Gosse. "Peace Voter is a grassroots effort that holds elected officials accountable for their pandering of the military at the expense of human and social needs." The 105th Congress used the last-minute rush to fund the government for 1999 as an opportunity to slip billions of taxpayer dollars into pet military projects, capping off a year of heightened military spending at the expense of other priorities, Peace Action charged. Republican members of Congress added $1 billion of unrequested money for a variety of missile defense programs, STAR Wars, as well as $400 million for six C-130 cargo planes the Pentagon did not ask for. The planes will be built in House Speaker Newt Gingrich's home district. Not to be outdone, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott secured $45 million to begin construction of an amphibious ship in his home state of Mississippi. "If the Pentagon can't maintain readiness for $270 billion a year it's because of waste, pork, and misappropriated money, not a lack of funding,: said Peace Action field organizer Sheila Dormody. "Congress' answer is to simply rob the budget surplus for more pork instead of asking the tough questions about how this money's being spent. The surplus was supposed to go toward saving Social Security, instead it's going into a big hole at the Pentagon. "Using a combination of paid media, the Internet, candidate bird-dogging, and distribution of voter guides in 40 selected House and Senate races, Peace Voter '98 is raising the budget issue as a central component of its campaign. The voter guides, based on actual votes and candidate questionnaires, allow voters to examine candidates' positions on issues ranging from treaties on nuclear testing and landmines to funding for student aid, Head Start, and environmental protection. In all, Peace Voter campaigns are taking place in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, Texas, California, Oregon and Washington state. ------ Peace Action, formerly SANE/Freeze, is the nation's largest peace and disarmament organization. The non-partisan Peace Voter campaign is not to be construed as an endorsement of any candidate or political party. Peace Action's Website can be visited at: http://www.peace-action.org/pv98.html -0- |
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