Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Proud Day For Brooklyn


Today the House of Representatives held a perfunctory final vote on the 2010 Defense Budget. However, 24 Congresspersons voted against the bill due to the $130 billion it allocated for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During the 1970s, progressive leaders like Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho, yes, Idaho) helped bring the Vietnam war and its illegal spawn wars to an end by choking Congressional funding for the wars.

It is unlikely that Congress would ever vote down a complete defense bill such as the one voted on today, but those who voted against it loudly demonstrated their dissent. Reps need constant affirming when they are swimming against the tide, particularly against a president from their own party.

What I am proud to say is that four of the twenty four votes came from Brooklyn representatives (there are six reps who cover different parts of the borough). Those votes were from Representatives Nydia Velazquez (North Brooklyn and Queens), Ed Towns (North and East Brooklyn), Jerry Nadler (South Brooklyn and Manhattan) and Yvette Clark (Central Brooklyn).

Part of the reason for their vote can be attributed to Brooklyn for Peace, which lobbied these reps heavily, and generally keeps its reps very informed of its anti-war activities. Another reason is that each of these Congresspersons represents some hard hit neighborhoods that need financial help from the government that is going to wars overseas. Finally, their votes are a testament to the strong progressive roots in Brooklyn as a whole, beyond just the anti-war movement. Though our state politics are a mess, we New Yorkers demand that our federal officials properly represent our views in Congress. If you don't, we'll primary you.

Anyways, this is a moment of congratulations. Thank you to Congresswoman Velazquez, Congressman Towns, Congressman Nadler and Congresswoman Clark for your support in ending these wars.

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