Peace Action West

Dear Peace Voter,

You may want to frame this one.

This year's voting record documents a major, historic victory for progressive foreign policy - the passage of the New START treaty.

This is the first major disarmament treaty we've ratified in decades. Because of it, there will be 1,300 fewer weapons aimed at cities and other targets on hair trigger alert. New START also signaled to the world that the U.S. and Russia - the world's two largest nuclear powers - were willing to get back on the path to a nuclear weapons free world after 18 years of idling. Inside this voting record you'll see a complete rundown of nuclear hardliners' crafty attempts to defeat the treaty, amendment by amendment. And you'll see how, in the end, we won.

Now advocates for a world without nuclear weapons must press on. We'll fight for deeper reductions in arsenals, cuts in bloated nuclear weapons spending, and a global partnership to end the threat of nuclear weapons once and for all.

This voting record also reflects a growing Afghanistan war debate. While the war raged on without real progress, this record shows more members of Congress voting against the current strategy. With a deadline for the start of a troop drawdown in July 2011, Congress and the American people's attention must turn to ending the longest war in U.S. history. It'll be up to people like you and me to keep our eyes on Congress, and insist on a clear exit strategy that brings the war to an end and the troops home.

You likely share at least one thing with the thousands of other Peace Action supporters with a copy of this voting record. You care about the wider world beyond this country's borders. That's why it's so crucial you understand the kind of foreign policy your representatives really support. With this voting record, you know the score.

Of course, knowing is just the first step. The voice of what President Eisenhower called the "military- industrial complex" often carries the day when Congress votes. Wasteful military spending programs frequently get funded even when it's clear the spending serves no real security need. One vote inside is a perfect example: the House voted for a $485 million weapons program even the Pentagon opposed!

That's where you and I come in. We need to stay vigilant - and active - to counter the powerful interests that prioritize military might over the tools that can build real peace and real security around the world.

Let your representatives know how you feel about their records on foreign policy issues. You can do that on the phone and by letters and email; through talking to representatives at town hall meetings and local lobby visits; and through kudos or pink slips at the ballot box. By holding our elected officials accountable to the values of international cooperation and human rights, we can together create a smarter, more peaceful foreign policy.

Thank you for your engagement and support,

Jon Rainwater Executive Director Peace Action West

Kevin Martin Executive Director Peace Action