Budget Matters Blog

Category: Military & Security


Introducing the Poor People's Moral Budget: Everybody Has the Right to Live

For the 140 million people who are poor, or one emergency away from being poor, we know it's necessary to present a comprehensive response to the systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, militarism, and war economy plaguing our country today. This Poor People’s Moral Budget asks, given the resources of our society, whether these demands are also possible. Our answer is a resounding yes.


It's time to put people over Pentagon & slash $200 billion from the military budget

We're joining a coalition to urge 2020 candidates to cut military funds enough to free $2 trillion or more over the next decade for big, bold, urgent people-first priorities.


The United States and Saudi Arabia Take the Top Two Spots in World Military Spending Per Person

Last week, the Stockholm International Peace Institute released their annual look at world military spending. Once again, the United States is on top. We spent more than one third of the world's total, two and a half times as much as the second coutnry on the list (China), and more than the next seven countries combined.


Your taxes provided $48 billion to Lockheed Martin. And some other stuff.

April 15, 2019 is Tax Day. Do you know where your tax dollars are? Here's a hint: military contractors cost the average taxpayer more than the price of a new Macbook Pro, but public housing costs the average taxpayer less than a curling iron from Wal-Mart. The average American paid...


Trade-Offs from the 2020 Trump Budget

America's military budget is so huge that the Trump budget's proposed increases for FY 2020 can seem like a drop in the bucket. But let's compare the value of some of Trump's most extra priorities to things that can actually improve people's lives.


Trump's $174 Billion Budget Lie

If Trump pretends that the Pentagon is also subject to strict spending limits, he can argue that his more than $50 billion in cuts to programs like the Environmental Protection Agency and Legal Aid are honest attempts to control federal spending. 


Tell Congress to Use Their Power: No National Emergency at the Border

The president will declare a national emergency in order to commandeer federal funds to build his wall, according to reports today.


Deja vu: Four Days Until Shutdown

It's deja vu all over again.


Trump Budget Delayed By Shutdown

The president’s budget request, which is legally due on the first Monday in February, will be late this year as a direct result of the government shutdown.


It’s Time to Demilitarize Our Budget to Fight Climate Change

While the Trump administration fixates on a militarized non-solution to the non-crisis at the border, the real crisis is staring us in the face: accelerating climate change. And demilitarizing the U.S. budget is part of any real climate solution.