WASHINGTON, DC (October 26) - Today, leaders from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are expected to discuss this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In preparation for this meeting, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) released a statement with over a dozen faith-based organizations calling for a prohibition on funds for nuclear testing and restrictions on the 1033 military surplus program to be included in the final bill. Signers include the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, and Pax Christi USA, among others.
The statement calls for this year's NDAA conferees to "ensure that any bill that comes out of conference includes limits on the 1033 program and a prohibition on the use of funds for nuclear testing."
“This year's NDAA negotiators are starting with inadequate House and Senate-passed bills that don’t recognize the people’s call for reinvestment in our communities instead of weapons and war," said Tori Bateman, Policy Advocacy Coordinator at the American Friends Service Committee. "At the very least, negotiators must include a prohibition on the use of funds for nuclear testing, and restrictions on the use of military surplus gear by police. And in the future, Congress must pass better legislation that cuts Pentagon spending and uplifts our communities rather than the defense contractors."
The statement comes on the heels of a June statement by faith organizations, which urged Congress to step away from a bloated Pentagon budget, militarized policing, endless war, and the racist border wall. This call was largely ignored by Congress, as both chambers put forward National Defense Authorization bills that fell woefully short of the faith community’s plea for change.
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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social systems.