Convention upholds committee's do-not-pass on 50% cut to U.S. military spending

Delegates considered a provocative resolution calling for a 50% reduction in U.S. military spending and closure of most overseas bases. Video and in-person testimony spanned fiscal, moral and practical arguments.

A video speaker, Aram (vice chair of communications for the 37th LD), urged a dramatic reduction in Pentagon spending, citing the inability to audit the department and proposing a return to roughly 2016 spending levels. Opponents and some committee members, including Jen Otis, said the resolution lacked necessary justification and implementation detail: Otis argued the text referenced an arbitrary 50% figure without the analysis needed to persuade Congress. Rachel Snell and others argued the number had precedent and could be a credible demand for future legislative action.

The resolutions committee recommended do not pass; delegates upheld that recommendation on the ballot, leaving the item unresolved but noted as a point of grassroots pressure for future advocacy.