Another $6 Billion for the Military: When Will We Prioritize People Over War?
The Senate has passed a stopgap funding bill, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. In doing so, lawmakers allocated an additional $6 billion to the military, bringing the total defense budget to $847 billion for this fiscal year. Another $6 billion was directed toward veterans’ healthcare, an essential investment for those impacted by war. But even as these billions flow into the Pentagon, military leaders warn that the funding structure still fails to meet strategic and operational goals.
This raises an urgent question: If nearly $850 billion isn’t enough for the military, when will enough be enough?
The Real Cost of Military Spending
This latest funding measure continues an entrenched pattern of funneling taxpayer dollars into the military-industrial complex while critical social programs remain underfunded. The United States already spends more on its military than the next nine countries combined, including China and Russia. Yet, military officials claim that this budget forces them to make “hard choices” between readiness, modernization, and force size.
The consequences of this budgetary bloat ripple far beyond the Department of Defense. Every dollar spent on war is a dollar not spent on the urgent needs of our communities. Imagine what $6 billion could do for:
• Education: Expanding access to public pre-K, reducing class sizes, and increasing teacher pay.
• Healthcare: Addressing the rural hospital crisis and improving Medicare and Medicaid services.
• Housing: Building affordable housing to combat homelessness.
• Climate Resilience: Funding renewable energy projects and disaster preparedness.
The Cycle of Endless War and Spending
The bill’s passage comes amidst growing concerns about unchecked military spending and its impact on foreign policy. The Pentagon’s budget fuels an economy dependent on war, defense contracts, and arms manufacturing, ensuring that peace is never truly on the agenda. This cycle continues to prioritize militarization over diplomacy, leaving fewer resources for investments that strengthen security in a broader sense—such as poverty reduction, education, and climate initiatives.
As noted by Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, this bill does not provide “adequate support” for a military that faces multiple adversaries. However, a bloated military budget will never provide security if our own citizens struggle to afford healthcare, housing, and basic necessities. Security should be measured not by the number of weapons purchased, but by the quality of life and stability of the people.
The Call for a Peace Economy
At the Peace Economy Project, we continue to push for a reallocation of funds from war-making to community-building. This latest spending bill underscores the urgency of our Move the Money campaign, which advocates for shifting federal funds from excessive military spending to essential domestic programs.
It is time to demand that our leaders rethink national security—not in terms of military force, but in terms of economic stability, social equity, and global cooperation.
📢 Take Action:
• Call your representatives and urge them to support legislation that reduces military spending and invests in social programs.
• Share this article to spark conversation about the true cost of war.
The Senate may have chosen to prioritize the Pentagon once again, but we don’t have to accept this as the status quo. Together, we can work toward an economy that values people over war, peace over profit, and justice over militarization.
