Dear Senator: Preserve Military Band Funding

The thought that congress might cut the budget for military bands is no longer a vague worry. The threat is now on active duty.

The House of Representatives has approved the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012. This bill reduces military band funding by more than 1/3, reducing the current appropriation of $320 million to $200 million.

Ouch.

I have strong, although mixed, feelings about this.Yes, I support military music. Yes, I know how bands contribute to our armed forces, how hard they work and how well they succeed in promoting morale, recruiting, public relations and tradition.

And, yes, I also know that our country is in a fiscal mess. Three-year-olds and nations must learn they can't have everything they want.

There's a lot we could debate here. Even if you're convinced, as I am, that strong, versatile music programs contribute greatly toward the military's mission, does the Army really need 4,000 musicians and 100 bands? Time is critical, so I'm not going to start that debate right now. What I'm going to do is write to my senators and ask them to consider reducing or eliminating the cuts in the bill.

It's not too late. I know I should have contacted my representative in the House weeks ago, but as the Washington Post reported,

More than 150 amendments to the defense bill had been approved for debate, and in a rush to get the bill passed, [the chairman of the Armed Services Committee] packaged dozens of them together for passage by voice vote.

In other words, the amendment to reduce band funding, (introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)), was passed with scores of other amendments"en banc." That's French for "all at once, in a rush, without discussion."

If there is to be deliberation--and horse-trading--it will be in the Senate. If you feel that military music is an asset worth preserving, I urge you to tell your senator. Pronto.

It's never been so easy to do.  This list links you to a web form for contacting both of your senators. You can write to him or her and have your message in your senator's office in ten minutes.

I feel strongly enough to consider it an obligation to do what I can, even if it's not much. And it's not just an obligation; petitioning the government is also, as I recall, a right, guaranteed me by the First Amendment.