Limbaugh falsely claimed that Kucinich's Dept. of Peace bill would "[g]et rid of the Department of Defense"

Summary: Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that Rep. Dennis Kucinich's proposal for a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence would "[g]et rid of the Department of Defense." In fact, Kucinich's proposed Department of Peace would operate in addition to the Department of Defense to "develop policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict."

On March 16, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-OH) proposal for a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence would "[g]et rid of the Department of Defense." In fact, Kucinich's proposed Department of Peace would operate in addition to the Department of Defense to "develop policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict."

As Limbaugh noted, Kucinich touted the 2003 version of his proposal during his campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. Kucinich re-introduced the bill in the current Congress.

But rather than eliminating the Department of Defense, as Limbaugh claimed, the bill specifies that the Secretary of Peace would "provide ethical-based and value-based analyses to the Department of Defense" and "advise the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State on all matters relating to national security, including the protection of human rights and the prevention of, amelioration of, and de-escalation of unarmed and armed international conflict."

Moreover, the Department of Peace's funding would actually depend on the continued existence of the Department of Defense; Kucinich's bill would authorize for the Department of Peace "an amount equal to at least 2 percent of the total amount appropriated for that fiscal year for the Department of Defense."

From the March 16 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Dennis Kucinich -- one of these wacko, lunatic-fringe lefties. He was in the Democratic presidential primary race in 2004. You remember him, Dawn? Yeah, he wanted to establish a Department of Peace. Get rid of the Department of Defense. Establish a Department of Peace, which is what the Department of Defense is. Anyway, he was running around -- it's so bad out there in Democratic circles, he was winning most-eligible-bachelor contests in the Democratic Party.

—J.S.