Four Great News Items, and Other Good Signs for the Future

Last week was a great week for our cause. For starters, Congress passed two good amendments…

• The Trey Radel (FL) Amendment forbids any military action in Syria that violates the War Powers Act. This means the President must consult Congress before placing U.S. forces in conflict zones or committing them to battle.
• The Thomas Massie (KY) Amendment would prohibit the Defense Department from funding military operations in Egypt or financing any individuals, groups or organizations engaged in paramilitary activity.

Both are things for which DC Downsizers campaigned. Congratulations!

Yet there’s more…

• The Mulvaney (SC) and Van Hollen (MD) Amendment cut $3.5 billion off a proposed increase to the budget for the War on Terror.
• An Amendment by Paul Broun (GA) prohibits the Defense Department from funding drone surveillance over the United States.

This last item passed by such a wide margin that it was done with a voice vote.

Do you notice the theme of these four victories?

They could represent a turning-of-the-tide against endless wars and meddling.

I can’t remember the last time the Military Industrial Complex lost these kinds of votes. But there’s more…

• We told you Friday about the 131 members who signed a letter calling for a fresh start to diplomatic relations with Iran.
• An Amendment by Adam Schiff (CA) would’ve removed the President’s discretion for when to end combat operations in Afghanistan. This got 43% of the vote, including the support of 30 Republicans!

All of this would have been unimaginable four years ago. Or maybe even two years ago. And even the one key vote we lost last week was still a significant step forward….

The Amash amendment would have defunded the NSA’s mass-surveillance of the American people.

• Downsize DC worked with three overlapping coalitions to pass this amendment.
• But even though we lost the vote 217 to 205, my email inbox was full of CELEBRATION, from other coalition members, marveling at how close we came to winning.

And I think this defeat is only temporary. I predict this amendment will pass in a future vote, because the pressure on Congress won’t go away, it will only increase.

So be of good cheer. Change is possible. As long as we keep pushing. Speaking of which…

The month-end is here, and Downsize DC is still $2,711 short of what we need to pay our bills. Do you value the services we provide, and the progress we’re making? Can you help us cover our month-end shortfall?

It would be fantastic if one person could cover the whole amount, but it’s more likely we’ll need at least one $1,000 donation, one $500, a few at $250, several at $100, and the rest rounded out by donations of $75, $50, $25, and $10. Any amount will help.

Please contribute here if you possibly can.

Thanks for your support, and the role you played in achieving these victories.

Jim Babka
President
Downsize DC