Nearly 400 women state legislators sign onto a letter to Congress about our federal budget priorities
Legislators from across the country urge Congress to support the administration’s moves to change priorities in Pentagon budget: shift dollars away from Cold War weapons and toward a new approach to security. Letter | Press release
Toolkit for Signers

Dear President Obama: Please consider these issues in the first 100 days.
WiLL delivered this letter to the President.

This is the time to build the foundation for a better, more peaceful, more just world.

Welcome to new Congresswomen committed to change!

WAND PAC is excited to announce that five of our candidates were elected to Congress in November!

Rep. Debbie Halvorson (IL-11) | Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Rep. Betsy Markey (CO-4) | Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

They join five other new WAND/WiLL Congresswomen who were won special elections in the last year:

Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4) | Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Rep. Laura Richardson (CA-37) | Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-12)
Rep. Niki Tsongas (MA-5)

This brings the number of WAND/WiLL women in the 111th Congress to 47. The WAND/WiLL reception on February 3, 2009 was an electric moment to welcome, educate, empower -- and celebrate! More info here.

We're especially pleased that TEN women from the ranks of WiLL ran for Congress this year. We've been working for years to establish a pipeline of progressive, pragmatic, skilled women who will run for higher office during their careers. It's a major step toward fundamental and lasting change!

Security and climate change: We need a new concept of "climate security" rather than military security. WiLL/WAND has a new action guide about Climate Security; we encourage you to take action.

While the federal government fails to take meaningful steps to address climate change, state legislators across the country are passing innovative bills to deal with the issue. We urge state legislators to go even further and encourage their Congressional delegations to address climate change through the lens of the military budget.

The U.S. military contributes to the problem of climate change more than any other single institution worldwide. We spend billions of dollars every year on outmoded weapons systems that do not make us any safer. That money instead could fund programs to promote climate security—an investment that would truly keep us safer.

Use our action guide and contact the WiLL office for steps you can take to protect our climate! We have provided sample letters to the editor and a sample op-ed to help you educate fellow policymakers and the public. Please contact the WiLL office to assist you in media placement.

Click here to see the women in the 111th Congress who come from the ranks of WAND and WiLL.

WiLL Trailblazers is a network of former women state legislators who are working together to influence national policy to reduce violence and militarism and promote human and environmental well-being.