I’m writing because our military spending is out of control.
Today, more than half of all discretionary spending is spent on defense; military personnel make up the majority of federal government employees and private military contractors are a leading force in the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, investments in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and emergency preparedness have been crowded out.
The Department of Defense has a budget of $849 billion in the current fiscal year, and more than half is funneled to military contractors. About 30% of this money goes to just five firms: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrup Grummond. Billions are awarded without competitive bidding. Despite the massive sums of money involved, we know surprisingly little about how they spend these funds, what kinds of jobs and pay are supported, which sub-contractors are paid and how much.
This situation is terribly concerning. Why do we continue to increase defense spending when we’re not at war? Why is it always programs for the American people that receive cuts, not a bloated department that continues to fail audits year after year?
We need to reprioritize our spending. No more increases in defense spending! Put that money towards working Americans, climate mitigation, and Medicare for all instead! Thanks.
First sent on June 8, 2023 by Jess Craven
