MILITARY BUDGET AND EDUCATION

The Reagan administration, through its economic and tax policies has encouraged the revival of the destructive military versus social programs debate; and in do­ing so has weakened American security. While the administration responded to a deep national concern for American military defense in an increasingly dangerous world it has done so by shifting the burden for the cost of national defense onto the backs of American working people while passing a $750 billion dollar tax giveaway to the richest segments of American society. Reagan has also gutted vital social programs, including aid to education, which as the AFL-CIO has stated, "reflect the humane values of our people and that make our society worth defending."

For a president who claims to want a strong America, his attack on public education, through cuts in aid for education and support for the tuition tax credits, is extremely short sighted. As AFT President Shanker recently pointed out: "Will America be stronger if we reduce our support for education? What will happen to our ability to build and produce as we lose our math, science and engineering teachers-and as we fail to train our skilled blue-collar workers like machinists and tool-and-die makers? Cutting taxes and encouraging savings and investment will do little for the future economy, or defense, without an investment in human skills and talents."

The AFT equally rejects the notions that, as some argue, we must spend unlimited amounts of money on national defense in total disregard of domestic welfare and economic growth or as others propose, we should blindly transfer funds from the military budget to social programs with no concern for the impact on defense.

We believe that American workers are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to maintain America's defenses and that both defense and "the general welfare" can be supported by a healthy and growing economy. But again Reagan's economic policies, which have encouraged high unemployment, low growth and high federal deficits, weaken internal social cohesion which is required for a strong foreign and defense policy.

RESOLVED, the AFT joins with the AFL-CIO in its support for a strong national defense and backs positions passed by the AFL-CIO Executive Council in February 1982:

that the "defense budget be subjected to the same close scrutiny that social programs have always undergone,"

that should Congress determine that higher levels of defense spending in fiscal 1984 are required, this increase should be fully financed by adjustments in Reagan's 1981 tax giveaway package to the large corporations and the very wealthy; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT supports the work of the special AFL-CIO committee established to evaluate the defense-spending proposals before the Congress and will report its recommendations to the AFT membership; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT urges the AFL-CIO special committee on defense and national legislators:

*to study linkage between American education needs, especially in the areas of science, math, languages, and technical skills, and our future defense capabilities and to propose special programs and incentives to encourage the development of these studies at the elementary, secondary and university levels. (1982 resolution reaffirmed by 1983 convention)