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Why I am angry about the vote on @SenSanders bill and why you should be too. A thread.
@SenSanders introduced a bill that would cut 10% of our military spending budget of $741 billion & use that money to provide child care that we desperately need https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1285652272526041089?s=20
@SenSanders introduced a bill that would cut 10% of our military spending budget of $741 billion & use that money to provide child care that we desperately need https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1285652272526041089?s=20
2. Only 23 Democratic Senators voted *for* this bill. Meaning 24 voted against funding high quality childcare. Some notable names among them were
@MarkWarner
@SenatorBennet
@SenDuckworth
@SenKamalaHarris
@SenFeinstein
@SenCortezMasto
@MarkWarner
@SenatorBennet
@SenDuckworth
@SenKamalaHarris
@SenFeinstein
@SenCortezMasto
3. Here are the Senators that voted yea
Including
@maziehirono
@senwarren
@SenMarkey
@SenGillibrand
@SenSchumer
@brianschatz
@SenSanders (obvs)
Including
@maziehirono
@senwarren
@SenMarkey
@SenGillibrand
@SenSchumer
@brianschatz
@SenSanders (obvs)
4. There was also a companion bill in the House that failed 93-139
5. Here are the D Reps who voted against it https://twitter.com/monsieurmoscato/status/1286032605125709830?s=20
6. Our country spends more on military defense than the next 11 countries combined. How much do we spend on K-12 you ask? h/t @hello_nathaniel https://twitter.com/hello_nathaniel/status/1286002479063162880?s=20
7. "State and local funds make up about 90% of total K-12 education funding. The federal government provides roughly the remaining 10% of K-12 funding, primarily through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965." - h/t @senwarren
8. This promotes inequity and significantly worse outcomes for lower income areas, as less property tax is collected to fund schools. Title I funding needs to be quadrupled to around $450 billion to make up for the inequities in our education system. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-06-01/title-i-rich-school-districts-get-millions-in-federal-money-meant-for-poor-kids
9. High quality childcare that is funded by government simply doesn't exist in America and with the strain of the pandemic / ones entire salary potentially going to childcare, parents - esp single lower income parents - are faced with impossible choices. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/child-care-costs-just-hit-a-new-high-2018-10-22
10. So, in essence, every Democratic today that voted against a *very* modest cut to the egregious defense spending in this country voted against giving parents and children options where there are none. What are we even spending it on you wonder? https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/tom-dispatch-america-defense-budget-bigger-than-you-think/
11. Really important things like " $13 billion aircraft carrier, 200 nuclear bombers at $564 million a pop, and the F-35 combat aircraft, the most expensive weapons system in history, at a price tag of at least $1.4 trillion over the lifetime of the program." see article above.
12. That's just in the pentagon budget, there are also outsized expenditures topping 1.1 trillion that are defense-related. Here you can see our priorities in handy little graphs. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/military-spending-defense-budget
13. So why would these Dem Senators and House Reps vote against such a modest cut to our defense spending? As always follow the money. Lockheed Martin spent over $1.1 million in donations and $13 million in lobbying in 2020 alone. Surely just to Rs though? Wrong.
14. Big defense companies like Lockheed donate to *everyone* yes even Sanders and Warren. They are trying to buy loyalty, but some Senators refuse to be bought. Interestingly they donated 6x the amount to Sanders and Warren than they did the other Senators that voted "Nay".
15. In short our Democratic Congresspeople sold us out. I can't think of a single good argument for investing more in our children than our stupid toys and endless wars.
16. Let me know if you find one a good reason. But right now we have crumbling infrastructure, piss poor education, inadequate housing, a climate crisis, food deserts, and racial injustice that cuts across all of this and we can't even cut our defense by 10%?
17. Until we get money out of politics we will always have Dems that are beholden to these special interests and it stays the same. Nothing changes, Nothing changes. Call congress today and demand an answer:
(202) 224-3121
We have to fight for our kids. Enough is enough.
(202) 224-3121
We have to fight for our kids. Enough is enough.
edit: I meant I *can't* think of a good reason ..there's always a typo
PS- Adding on this letter from 60 progressive organizations supporting this legislation. H/t @Ramarion85 https://twitter.com/ramarion85/status/1286071853656633345?s=21 https://twitter.com/Ramarion85/status/1286071853656633345
PPS I posted the nay votes twice. Here are all the Yea votes
