In the next few weeks, the deficit “super committee” will develop a deficit reduction plan that could set the direction of the federal budget for the next decade. There are 12 people in the room making those decisions, and they need to hear from you.

Click here to tell the super committee to support a plan that ends the wars, cuts wasteful military and nuclear spending and protects alternatives to war. You will be redirected to their public comment page, where you can fill out your information and personalize the sample message.

In the next few weeks, the “super committee” will decide on a plan that could shape the federal budget for the next decade. We are mobilizing our supporters to contact the super committee and counteract the major push from the defense industry.

We sent the letter below to super committee members to clearly outline the balanced security budget Peace Action West’s supporters would like to see. You can tell the super committee that you support these priorities by clicking here.

On behalf of Peace Action West’s 50,000 supporters, I am writing to urge you to produce deficit reduction recommendations that make Americans more secure by balancing our security budget and preserving domestic programs that contribute to security and prosperity at home.

By William Hartung – July 13, 2011Originally published by TalkingPointsMemo

Today the House voted on a slew of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, a bill authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars for the Pentagon and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal year 2012. This provided a great opportunity for our allies in Congress to work to impact key issues like military spending, the wars in Afghanistan and Libya, nuclear weapons and more.

The biggest story out the House today is the growth in support for ending the war in Afghanistan. Efforts to end the war in Afghanistan got more votes than ever before, and key members of the Democratic leadership Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer spoke in favor of the McGovern/Jones amendment to set a timeline for withdrawal. This sends a clear message to the administration at a critical time. The Pentagon is pushing for an insignificant withdrawal in July, and President Obama needs strong support to move toward a serious, sizable withdrawal from Afghanistan.

I’m glad to announce the release of Peace Action West’s 2010 Congressional Voting Record.

Last year was a big one. It had its triumphs, like when determined senators pushed through the first major arms control treaty in decades. And it had its disgraces, with a group of Republicans blocking a bipartisan bill to help stop forced child marriage. How did your representatives measure up? Find out with our 2010 Congressional Voting Record.

Was your senator one of the nuclear hawks who tried desperately to kill New START? Did your representative call for getting all the troops out of Afghanistan by the end of the year? Our 2010 voting record highlights key votes in the House and Senate on everything from Afghanistan to nuclear weapons, from wasteful military spending to sanctions on Iran. You can also check out our picks for the “best and worst” things Congress did for peace in 2010.