‘Inhumane at Any Time,’ But During a Pandemic? House Approval of $740 Billion Pentagon Budget Condemned
“Once again, the House has voted to put the interests of weapons manufacturers and war hawks over the wellbeing of people here and abroad.”
The Cost to End World Hunger World hunger can be eradicated for just $30 billion a year. Compare this to the U.S. war budget – $740billion in 2020
by Eoin Higgins, staff writer 49 Comments shared with thanks. Insert info added
Win Without War was among the anti-war voices on Friday issuing blistering condemnations of the passage in the U.S. House of a $740 billion defense bill as part of the 2021 Appropriations Minibus.
Hunger could kill millions more than Covid-19, warns Oxfam.. The UN World Food Programme, which estimates that the number of people facing severe hunger will increase by about 122 million this year as a result of the pandemic, cut food deliveries by almost half in northern Yemen. Oxfam said humanitarian assistance around the world had been curtailed by restrictions on movement and other precautions to prevent the virus spreading. The Oxfam report said only 9% of funding for tackling food security had been met under then UN’s global fund against Covid-19.
“A $740 billion Pentagon budget is inhumane at any time,” said the group’s executive director, Stephen Miles. “In the midst of a pandemic—as people across the country struggle to make rent, to pay their bills, to survive a deadly disease—it should be unthinkable. Once again, the House has voted to put the interests of weapons manufacturers and war hawks over the wellbeing of people here and abroad.”
But the House’s vote to put the interests of weapons manufacturers & war hawks over the well-being of people here & abroad in the midst of a pandemic is just appalling.
Read our full statement: https://t.co/k8f5VLOPjh pic.twitter.com/M0V5t2c3Nq— Win Without War (@WinWithoutWar) July 31, 2020
The bill passed the House on Friday by a 217 to 197 margin, largely along party lines, with 16 members not voting. Only 12 Democrats voted against the measure while 217 voted in favor. All Republicans in the House either voted against the bill or did not vote. Read the full roll call here.
Oxfam Report: Time to Care Economic inequality is out of control. In 2019, the world’s billionaires, only 2,153 people, had more wealth than 4.6 billion people. This great divide is based on a flawed and sexist economic system that values the wealth of the privileged few, mostly men, more than the billions of hours of the most essential work – […]
The bill’s passage came after a vigorous debate over recent weeks that included votes on whether to cut military spending by 10% and whether or not to allow the Pentagon to continue using video game streaming platforms to recruit impressionable children. Both measures failed.
see also…Wiping out hunger in Africa could cost just $5bn
“Though last week’s votes on whether or not to cut the Pentagon budget by ten percent were hopeful signs of the shifting tides on Pentagon spending, this Appropriations bill is a reminder that there remains much to be done,” said Miles. “We are also disappointed that House Democrats have decided to once again couple passage of a bill that fuels militarism abroad with bills that fund our priorities at home, forfeiting the ability to challenge the former without undermining the latter.”
Here’s how much would it cost to give everyone health care …, everywhere in the world? The WHO estimates that it would cost about $58 per person, per year to achieve universal health care in all low and middle income countries. That comes to about $371 billion per year by 2030. Free Health care for THE WHOLE PLANET for not even half the $740 billion 2020 war budget of the USA. (And the real US war budget is over a $ trillion)
Miles did point to what he called “bright spots” in the bill, including two provisions from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) that repeal the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force and require congressional approval before going to war with Iran and an amendment from Rep. Jackie Spier (D-Calif.) banning the Department of Defense from using funds to implement a ban on transgender Americans in the military.
The Free 