On September 20, community activists and legislators attending WAND/WiLL’s national conference, “Women at the Table of Power,” participated in a full day of lobby meetings on Capitol Hill. Our attendees visited over 120 congressional offices and met with staff and members of Congress from 34 states. The conference program leading up to the lobby day provided attendees with the tools to effectively communicate budget priorities, nuclear weapons issues, and requests regarding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Truman National Security Project and ReThink Media conducted messaging and communication trainings in order to prepare our members to take on WAND’s issues and advocate for change!

WAND/WiLL Minnesota delegation with Senator Al Franken (D-MN)

During the lobby day, WAND/WiLL hosted a Congressional Luncheon in the Rayburn House Office Building for conference members to stop by, take a break, and hear inspiring speeches by Lily Eskelson, Vice President of the National Education Association, and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Their words offered motivation to the participants continuing on with the afternoon schedule of meetings.

While meeting with members of Congress, we asked their support in reallocating excessive military spending, supporting full funding for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative program, and building a sustainable peace in Afghanistan by including women in the peace process. As indicated in the following quotes, many of our members reported productive meetings and pride in completing their first day of lobbying on the Hill! We are grateful for our WAND/WiLL members for taking the time to come to Washington, DC and speaking up for sensible budget priorities, peace and security.

It is such an honor to be a part of this powerful group of women!
- Emilia Kaiser, WAND Member (Georgia)

One of the proudest moments of my life was watching my teenage daughters converse with their congressional Representatives with grace and confidence about reprioritizing our values as a nation and redirecting excessive military spending towards unmet human needs. The WAND conference prepared them well. We will never forget this experience.
-Kelli Hunnicutt, WAND Member (North Carolina)

I feel so confident in speaking with my Congressmen. It is so important for my

reps in DC to know how I and the people I represent in KY feel about wasteful military spending.
-State Representative Joni Jenkins, WiLL Member (Kentucky)

WiLL/WAND’s work is vitally important as our country moves toward responsible positions. We make a difference because we are an informed critical mass of advocates and activists.
-The Honorable Becky Lourey, WiLL Member (Minnesota)

From left to right: Karla Vasquez (Sojourners Intern), Kathy Crandall Robinson (WAND Public Policy Director), State Rep. Cindy Ryu (D-WA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Jessie Choi (Sojourners Intern)

For more information about the 2011 WAND/WiLL conference, click here.

The Georgia delegation, Annie Laura Stephens, Lillie Wilson, Shirley Fields, Dianne Valentin, Betsy Rivard, Susan Goodman, Cee Cee Anderson,  Melanie Weniger, Emilia Kaiser, Courtney Hanson and Amanda Hill-Attkisson, worked with colleagues from a dozen other states who were in DC for the 23rd annual Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) DC Days. The activists met with with over 80 Senators and Representatives, leaders of congressional committees that oversee nuclear issues, and key federal agency staffers to discuss these and other existing and proposed nuclear projects, which they say will waste billions in taxpayer funds, damage the environment and undermine the nation’s non-proliferation goals.

WAND was also involved in educating EAD participants about the defense budget. WAND Policy Director Kathy Robinson joined a panel of women experts to lead the workshop Budget Hysteria: How Can we be Both Fiscally and Morally Responsible on the Budget? Kathy discussed how our nation’s unbalanced budget priorities are compromised byexcessive military spending, including money spent on nuclear weapons.

At the WAND table, staff used a “bean poll” to survey EAD participants about how they would spend their tax payer money. Results indicate that most EAD attendees would rather have more of their taxes go towards education, health care, and the environment instead of the military! Even our nation's leaders are speaking out about military spending. See what our elected officials have to say!

Let’s continue to build on the momentum of the federal budget debates to reduce wasteful military spending and fund basic human needs!