Endorsements
Peace Action’s 2024 Class
SENATE
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CALIFORNIA
Barbara Lee (D-CA-Senate)
Barbara Lee has been a champion for peace during her long career in Congress. She famously faced criticism and even death threats for casting the lone vote against the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force that kicked off the US invasion of Afghanistan and the decades-long “War on Terror.” In Barbara’s words:
“While we cannot reverse the damage already done, we can take action to prevent such grave, costly mistakes in the future. Let’s be clear: the American people do not want endless war… For two decades, I have been fighting to get Congress to reassert its war powers that have been abused far too often by administrations in both parties… It’s far past time we put decisions of military action back in the hands of the people and Congress, as the constitution intended. I call upon my colleagues in the Senate and House, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to take back our constitutional obligation to debate matters of war and peace.”
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MONTANA
Jon Tester (D-MT-Senate)
Jon Tester has stood against endless wars and for diplomacy on numerous occasions. When running in 2006, his platform heavily featured bringing the troops home. As soon as he was elected, he started pushing for a firm timeline for withdrawal from Iraq. He supported the Iran deal and voted to prevent Trump from going to war with Iran after the attack on Gen. Soleimani. He has also voted to end US support of the Saudi bombing of Yemen and block arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
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PENNSYLVANIA
Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA-Senate)
When it comes to ending the tragic war in Yemen, Bob Casey has been with us, voting to stop US support for the war as well as to prevent US arms sales to the Saudis. He understands the importance of nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Earlier this year, he also voted in favor of repealing the 2002 Iraq AUMF, saying, “For too long, Congress has ceded to the executive branch its constitutionally proscribed role in authorizing military force and declaring war. For years I have argued that Congress must re-assert itself into debates about how and when our country sends our young men and women into harm’s way.”
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TEXAS
Colin Allred (D-TX-Senate)
When it comes to ending or preventing wars, Colin Allred has been an ally. He has voted to repeal the AUMFs; prevent new AUMFs against Iran; fund civilian harm mitigation measures; prevent State Department cuts; and stop US weapons sales to and support for the Saudis, which facilitated their assault on Yemen. He also voted alongside us on an amendment by Pramila Jayapal to report on the US confiscation of Afghanistan’s central bank assets and how that impacted their humanitarian crisis. In Colin’s own words:
“We must spend our defense dollars wisely, and I disagree with [a] budget that puts defense spending way out of balance as compared to our domestic needs, like health care. I support budget proposals that are balanced and ensure that domestic spending on priorities like transportation and health care matches defense spending.”
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HOUSE
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CALIFORNIA
Jirair Ratevosian (D-CA-30)
“Through my years of work in foreign policy and health diplomacy, I have witnessed the devastation that breeds from a lack of diplomatic solutions to multinational conflicts. We need to elect public officials that prioritize the type of world that Peace Action stands for and who will strive for a peaceful future for their country and abroad.”
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FLORIDA
Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL-10)
“All around, military spending is too high and there are many individual programs that tax-payers fund too highly and don’t reap any benefits. It is important that the United States invests in research of universal COVID-19 cures and vaccines that can be shared with the entire world before spending more money on lethal and unnecessary weapons. How we use our money shows where our priorities are, our exuberant Pentagon spending keeps us from truly taking care of our people.”
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ILLINOIS
Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03)
Delia wants to fight for a new foreign policy. She is ready to see money go to people over the Pentagon. She will push for the prioritization of human rights, refocus on diplomacy, and Congressional accountability when it comes to international relations. “The Pentagon is the only federal agency to have never passed an audit. We must recognize that unquestioned defense budget increases come at the expense of working families, where Republicans question where every penny and dime of domestic spending for our social safety net goes.”
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Kina Collins (D-IL-07)
“It’s a problem when our foreign policy is rooted more in war than diplomacy with a Pentagon budget that outspends most other federal agencies combined. We’re facing crises domestically that deserve the investment of our federal government – from housing and education to jobs and healthcare – we should be cutting the DoD budget and reinvesting those dollars into the American people.“
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MICHIGAN
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12)
“My residents sent me to Washington to be a fierce defender of their priorities and fight to enact policies that would make a meaningful difference in their lives. This bill does not meet that standard and is a $768-billion missed opportunity to address my residents’ priorities. I support—and have since my first day in office—the long-overdue dismantling of our country’s military-industrial complex so that we can finally put a stop to forever wars and reinvest into providing our communities with the resources they need and deserve.”
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MINNESOTA
Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05)
“Now is not the time to spend billions of dollars to bolster our defense budget while millions of Americans remain housing and food insecure. I am shocked that this Congress continues to spend over $700 billion on wasteful weapons contracts and Pentagon waste, and then turns around and calls for cuts to programs that help the poor, the elderly and the sick. We should be investing in the American people, not in weapons manufacturers.”
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MISSOURI
Cori Bush (D-MO-01)
“The future of our country’s foreign policy must be explicitly anti-war. No more bloated defense budgets that line the pockets of military contractors. No more drone strikes and bombs. No more death and destruction. We must invest in humanity both at home and abroad.”
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NEW YORK
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)
“During a time when our country is withdrawing from foreign wars, when COVID 19 and its fallout is one of the greatest threats that we face, when record levels of unemployment, housing and healthcare crises are among us, the United States should be reducing its military spending by at least 10% and prioritize the very needs of our communities here at home.”
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Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16)
“For too long, our nation’s spending priorities have been out of whack, and I believe this White House understands that it’s past time for Americans’ money to be spent building roads, schools, and businesses here at home instead of destroying them overseas.”
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PENNSYLVANIA
Summer Lee (D-PA-12)
“In recent years, Congress has authorized $41.6 million of ‘defense’ spending on Viagra, $2.3 million on Alaskan king crab, $32.6 billion for shipbuilding, $1.7 trillion on a program that ‘lost’ $85 million in spare parts they say apparently just vanished. That’s enough to repair crumbling roads and bridges, provide free school lunch for every child in America, combat homelessness, and completely eradicate student debt. The people I represent in Western PA are sick and tired of Congress nickel and diming the programs their lives depend on while we bankroll defense contractors and spend more on our Pentagon budget than the next 10 countries combined. The least we are owed is transparency and accountability for waste, fraud and abuse.”
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TEXAS
Michelle Vallejo (D-TX-15)
“We have to lead by example and use our bargaining power to encourage countries to improve labor, environmental, and human rights across the world. Combating climate change is very much dependent on changing our foreign policy to stop the disproportionate emission contributions from our military and trade deals. And most importantly, enough with sending our young people to the frontlines fighting wars for defense contractors and big donors.”
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Greg Casar (D-TX-35)
Casar’s “approach to foreign policy is based in adherence to values rooted in justice and democracy. A commitment to protecting human rights is paramount for U.S. foreign policy, and ending any violations of human rights is critical for achieving long term peace wherever there is conflict.”
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MORE COMING SOON!
Peace Action’s Congressional Champions
HOUSE
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CALIFORNIA
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FLORIDA
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ILLINOS
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MICHIGAN
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MINNESOTA
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MISSOURI
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NEW YORK
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PENNSYLVANIA
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TEXAS
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WASHINGTON
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WISCONSIN
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