Blog defense spending, Endless Wars, military spending, National Security, Pentagon Budget peace March 19, 2025 0 Comments

Is National Security Just a Code Word for Endless Military Spending?

Congress has now set Pentagon research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) spending at $141 billion for fiscal year 2025. Yet, instead of asking if such massive military spending is necessary for national security, lawmakers and military officials are lamenting that it is $7 billion less in than last year.

Once again, military spending is framed as the priority, while vital social programs remain underfunded, overlooked, or outright ignored.

A Misguided Sense of Urgency

The $141 billion RDT&E budget is meant to fund weapons development, AI-driven warfare, hypersonic missiles, space militarization, and cyberwarfare capabilities. While Congress swiftly passed this funding, programs that would actually improve the lives of Americans remain stuck in legislative limbo.

Rather than questioning whether this sum is necessary, Washington debates whether it is enough—despite the fact that the Pentagon’s total defense budget remains near an all-time high of $892.5 billion.

Meanwhile, how many times have we heard that there is “no money” for:

✅ Universal pre-K to give children a strong start in life

✅ Affordable housing programs to address the national housing crisis

✅ Food security programs to ensure no child goes hungry

✅ Medicare expansion so Americans aren’t drowning in medical debt

The reality is that Congress is not broke—our priorities are.

What Could $141 Billion Fund Instead?

To put this into perspective, this year’s Pentagon RDT&E budget alone could:

Fund universal pre-K for every child in America for over five years
Provide free school meals to every U.S. student for nearly a decade
Cover the full cost of Medicaid expansion in every state that has refused it
Build tens of thousands of affordable housing units across the country

Instead, these billions will go toward building the next generation of warfare technology, ensuring that defense contractors continue to profit while millions of Americans struggle with basic necessities.

The Real Threats Facing Americans

The Pentagon’s RDT&E budget alone is larger than the entire budgets of most federal agencies, yet it rarely faces the kind of scrutiny that social spending does.

While the government pours money into hypersonics and autonomous war machines, families in every state are dealing with:

Rising rent and housing insecurity
Underfunded schools and crumbling public infrastructure
Soaring medical costs and inaccessibility to healthcare
Climate disasters that hit vulnerable communities the hardest

We’re told that “national security” depends on maintaining military dominance—but what security is there when millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, ration their medications, or struggle to afford childcare?

The true national security crisis isn’t a technological arms race—it’s the economic instability and inequality that Washington refuses to address.

Redefining National Security

Congress’s decision to maintain Pentagon R&D funding at sky-high levels while leaving working families without the support they need reflects a deeply flawed definition of security.

💡 Real security is not about warships, AI weapons, or missile defense systems. Real security means:

Every child having access to quality education
Every family having stable housing
Every American being able to see a doctor when they need one
Building a country where people feel safe, supported, and economically secure

The debate in Washington should not be whether the Pentagon’s R&D budget was cut by $7 billion, but why we continue to prioritize war over human well-being.

If we are serious about protecting the future, it’s time to move the money—not into more military research, but into the programs that build real security and prosperity for all Americans.

Take Action: Help Us Demand Change

💡 At Peace Economy Project, we are fighting to shift U.S. spending priorities away from war and toward social investment. Join us in advocating for a future where our tax dollars are used to fund communities, not conflict.

📢 What you can do: