Your Member of Congress sits on a special committee (the Appropriations Committee) that decides where the funds go and how much goes there. Right now, they are accepting requests for what the budget should fund this year. Budget requests are important because they will be read directly by your representative’s office. By filing appropriations requests, we have the opportunity to kill these programs before they even get their legs.

Below are the steps to help you successfully fill out an Appropriations Request Form! If you run into any problems or have questions set up a time to fill out the forms with a field organizer!

When Completing an Appropriations Request Form…

Keep in mind that each form will look and be ordered a little differently, but they all ask for similar information! We have provided all the info you need to fill out the request forms to request the elimination of two nuclear weapons programs, GBSD and SLCM.

We have used Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s Request form as an example to walk you through the process and show you what you can expect. Since we are looking to eliminate two nuclear weapons programs, Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) and Sea-Launched Cruise Missiles (SLCM), we ask that you fill out the form twice, once for GBSD and once for SLCM.

To Get Started...

To start things off, find your representative and their request form in the Request Sheet here under the “House” tab. Click on the request form link associated with your Congressperson. (If you don’t know what district you live in, you can look it up here. )

Please be aware these forms each have unique deadlines, so if you’re here be sure to fill it out ASAP! (They take about 5 minutes.)

One you have opened your Representative’s’s Appropriations Request form go to the “Requests” tab of the sheet. Same link.

Perfect job! You’re ready to get things started!

Step One:

Enter your email address when prompted.

Step Two:

Both requests we are making are “Program” or “Funding” requests, select the appropriate option.

Step Three:

Both of the requests are under the “Defense” or “DEF” subcommittee. Type in or select when prompted.

Select “Department of Defense” or “DoD” when prompted for what agency.

Step Four:

The Account and Program Title answers differ for GBSD and SLCM, see the Request Chart you have open for the proper answer.

We are looking to eliminate both of these programs! If that is not an option on the request form choose the next best thing available.

Step Five:

We left the funding amounts blank as they did not apply on our form. Check the Request Sheet and read carefully to see what applies to your form.

We provide you with a program description in the Request Form, feel free to copy and paste.

Step Six:

If your form asks how this impacts your district answer honestly from your own experience. We know that large amounts of money going to nuclear weapons programs means less invested in our communities. We included this sample in the Request Sheet, but be sure to adapt it and make it your own!

Step Seven:

Most forms are structured as if it is an organization, and not a constituent filling it out. That's ok! It’s because they aren’t used to hearing constituents during this process. That means our voices are even more powerful! When they ask for “Title” “Organization” or anything similar, just put “Constituent” instead, as we did here. Be sure to fill in your phone number too!

Even though we left the address blank here (for privacy purposes) the constituent did fill in their home address to prove they are in fact a constituent. This is an important step, and in some forms absolutely required to submit. So be sure to fill it in so they know they are dealing with a true constituent!

Step Eight:

We left all the questions about “Head of Org” blank as they don’t apply to constituents.

Thank You For Taking Action!

And that’s it! Now scroll back up to Step 1 and repeat the process for the other Program (Either GBSD or SLCM pending which you filled out first). It’s that simple!

Once you’ve filled out your second request form, please let us know in the form below. It will just take a minute, and it is important for us to know what offices received constituent requests so we can follow up and make sure they are counted. Thanks so much!

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Still have questions? Set up a time to fill out the forms with a field organizer!

Thank you so much for filling out the appropriations request forms and demanding we stop spending money on nuclear weapons!

Please fill out this brief response form so we know what Appropriations Requests you filled out and what office you sent them to so we can follow up with them: