{"id":7856,"date":"2025-03-21T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/?p=7856"},"modified":"2025-03-21T10:03:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T15:03:03","slug":"billions-for-bombs-pennies-for-people-congress-doubles-down-on-military-spending-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/billions-for-bombs-pennies-for-people-congress-doubles-down-on-military-spending-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Billions for Bombs, Pennies for People. Congress Doubles Down on Military Spending, Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\">This week, the leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations defense subcommittees revealed their <a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2025\/03\/gop-defense-appropriators-spell-out-cr-funding-levels-for-weapons-will-the-dod-listen\/\" title=\"\">blueprint<\/a> for the Pentagon\u2019s FY2025 budget under the continuing resolution. The plan, presented in a 181-page set of funding tables, is a wish list of weapons, war machines, and research into the next generation of military technology \u2014 from F-35 fighter jets and missile defense systems to classified space surveillance activities. Once again, Congress is signaling its unwavering commitment to funding war, even amid a national conversation about crumbling infrastructure, housing shortages, student debt, and the spiraling cost of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Let\u2019s be clear: the funding decisions made in this document aren\u2019t about keeping Americans safe \u2014 they\u2019re about keeping defense contractors profitable. And they come at the direct expense of meeting the urgent needs of real people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Budget of Misplaced Priorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Under the so-called \u201cyearlong continuing resolution,\u201d Congress gave the Pentagon a staggering <strong>$892.5 billion<\/strong>. Even with that astronomical figure, lawmakers found ways to shuffle money around to ensure pet projects and weapons programs stayed alive. That includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">$1.5 billion for an additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">$524 million for more F-35 fighter jets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">$411 million to increase C-130 procurement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">$325 million slashed from next-gen fighter R&amp;D due to \u201cunjustified growth\u201d \u2014 but still leaving it massively funded<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Cuts weren\u2019t made to question the militarism itself \u2014 only to trim around the edges of programs that couldn\u2019t justify inflated costs. Meanwhile, the rhetoric of \u201cfiscal responsibility\u201d is reserved for denying healthcare, housing, or climate resilience programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Compare this to the fact that Congress continues to underfund social services across the country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>The National Housing Trust Fund received only $1 billion<\/strong> last year \u2014 a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a single destroyer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Universal pre-K for every child in America could be funded for years<\/strong> with less than what\u2019s allocated for the Navy\u2019s shipbuilding plans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>10 million students could receive free school meals for a decade<\/strong> for what\u2019s being spent on drone procurement and classified \u201cspecial space activities.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Congress More Accountable to Contractors Than Constituents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">While Rep. Ken Calvert and Sen. Mitch McConnell call the funding tables a reflection of \u201cCongressional intent,\u201d the truth is that they reflect defense industry intent. These decisions were made in lockstep with weapons manufacturers and lobbyists, not everyday people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The F-35 program alone has been plagued with technical failures, ballooning costs, and underwhelming performance. Yet it continues to receive billions \u2014 because it supports contractors in dozens of states and holds lawmakers hostage to the promise of jobs and campaign donations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This is not a defense budget. It is a blank check to the war economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Democracy Can\u2019t Survive on War Spending Alone<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">At a time when families are choosing between groceries and rent, when rural hospitals are closing, and when public schools face chronic underfunding, the moral bankruptcy of this budget becomes painfully clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We are told, year after year, that there is \u201cno money\u201d for Medicare expansion, green infrastructure, or student loan forgiveness. But when it comes to missiles, surveillance satellites, and fighter jets, the money not only appears \u2014 it multiplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This budget reinforces a <strong>deeply anti-democratic worldview<\/strong>: that safety comes not from strong communities, but from firepower; that prosperity must be secured through dominance, not care; and that America\u2019s strength is measured in weapons, not well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Call for Congress to Reimagine Security<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We at the Peace Economy Project believe it\u2019s time to reject this failed logic. Security should mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><strong>A living wage and access to healthcare<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>A fully funded education system<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Safe housing and clean water<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\"><strong>Resilient infrastructure and climate justice<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s time to reimagine national security not as endless preparation for war, but as a deep investment in the things that truly keep people safe and free. Congress must be held accountable for continuing to choose weapons over people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The United States does not need another destroyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It needs affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It doesn\u2019t need classified missile tracking in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It needs school lunches, clean air, and access to care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This is not just a political issue \u2014 it\u2019s a moral one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We must act now to challenge the militarization of our economy, our politics, and our future. Let\u2019s demand a budget that reflects our values, not just our fears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udce3 <strong>Take Action:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\ud83d\udcec <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/elected-officials\" title=\"\">Contact your representatives<\/a> and urge them to oppose increased military spending and support reallocating funds to social programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"billions\" class=\"\">\ud83d\udcb0 Support organizations working to end the war economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\ud83d\udcda Educate your community about the real costs of militarization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Peace is not the absence of war \u2014 it is the presence of justice. Let\u2019s build it together.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As Congress pours billions into weapons and war, critical social needs like housing, education, and healthcare are left behind. The Peace Economy Project examines the 2025 military budget and calls for a shift from endless militarization to real investments in people and peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[269,268,232,259,270],"class_list":["post-7856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-congressional-priorities","tag-defense-budget-2025","tag-military-spending","tag-peace-economy","tag-social-justice"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/pexels-photo-12110452.jpeg?fit=1880%2C1056&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7856"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7859,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7856\/revisions\/7859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}