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pentagon budget
A Trillion Dollars for Wasteful Pentagon and No Money for Social Goods We Need and Want
Poll after poll show Americans would rather have their tax dollars spent on public services than on Pentagon contractors, and would prefer policymakers prioritize spending on healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure—not the military.
May 18, 2025
President Trump is requesting a record-high $1.01 trillion “defense” budget for FY 2026 while gutting federal agencies and social services that actually keep the country safe – things like clean air and water protection, Medicaid, child nutrition programs, the Department of Education, green energy, and so much more.
The U.S. already spends more on the military than the next nine countries combined despite the Pentagon being the only federal agency that has never passed a federal audit. The United States government alone operates more than 90% of the world’s foreign military bases, controls more than 42% of the world’s nuclear warheads, and dominates 43% of the global arms trade.
As the world’s largest arms dealer, the U.S. sells weapons to the majority of the world’s authoritarian governments and U.S.-made weapons are routinely implicated in human rights abuses - including facilitating Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians in Gaza, ethnic cleansing of the occupied West Bank, and fueling the brutal proxy war in Sudan.
Half of the trillion-dollar Pentagon budget will be handed over to corporations and lobbyists who profit from producing weapons that drive political repression, endless war, and climate collapse - including billionaires like Elon Musk. The budget also includes funding and authorization for domestic use of the military to facilitate mass deportations and detentions at an unprecedented scale.
While Pentagon contractors are set to receive record-high public subsidies, too many Americans are struggling to meet their basic needs. Despite being the richest country in the world, the U.S. has the lowest education and health outcomes and highest rate of child poverty among all economically advanced nations. Wealth inequality has never been higher - and three-quarters of the country are pessimistic about their children’s financial future.
There are no militarized solutions to the challenges facing American families and communities. More war and weapons makes us all less safe, not more. Instead of a record-high budget for war profiteers, what could federal spending do for families and communities?
A $1.01 trillion dollar investment could achieve ALL of the following:
- Hire 350,328 registered nurses to fill the national nursing shortage (cost: $44.5 billion); AND
- Insure and treat the one in five adults with opioid use disorder who have no health insurance (cost: $1.85 billion); AND
- Provide health insurance for all four million uninsured children in this country (cost: $11.5 billion); AND
- Provide affordable housing for all 3.9 million Americans who receive an eviction notice each year (cost: $37.5 billion) and all 653,000 Americans who experienced homelessness at last count - a record high (cost: $6.3 billion); AND
- Expand Head Start services to cover all 3 million children under the age of five who live in poverty (cost: $28 billion); AND
- Lift 1.5 million children out of poverty by making the Child Tax Credit fully refundable (cost: $30 billion); AND
- Hire 407,000 Elementary School Teachers to fill the national teacher shortage (cost: $39.5 billion); AND
- Provide four-year scholarships to all 3.9 million 2025 high school graduates (cost: $152 billion); AND
- Replace lead pipes nationwide for safer drinking water (cost: $47 billion); AND
- Build nationwide high-speed rail for faster, cleaner, and safer transportation (cost: $205 billion); AND
- Erase all medical debt, which currently burdens 20 million Americans, nearly 1 in 12 adults nationally (cost: $220 billion); AND
- Create 350,000 clean energy jobs (cost: $60.30 billion); AND
- Send all 127.4 million households in the U.S. a $1,000 check to help offset the current cost-of-living crisis (cost: $127.4 billion).
Solutions to the greatest challenges facing American families and communities are not only possible - they’re popular. A trillion dollar investment in ordinary Americans is not radical; it would effectively help prevent crime, improve security, and raise standards of living across the country. And it’s what most people actually want.
Poll after poll show Americans would rather have their tax dollars spent on public services than on Pentagon contractors, and would prefer policymakers prioritize spending on healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure—not the military. Pentagon spending consistently ranks below other major programs in terms of importance regarding federal investment. In addition, the majority of Americans disapprove of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” cuts to federal agencies and programs, believing they make the country more vulnerable. And most voters do not agree with the ham-fisted approach Trump is taking on immigration.
There is still time to fight back. The President’s trillion-dollar Pentagon request so far is just that: a request. Congress ultimately has the final say in deciding how federal money is allocated. There is bipartisan support for cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within the inflated military budget and a variety of proposals from across the political spectrum outlining how this can be achieved (see here, here, and here). As the FY 2026 budget process proceeds, it will be crucial to unite and strengthen interconnected movements fighting for government accountability and a livable future for people and the planet - not corporations who profit from the division and destruction of our communities and world.
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Trump Is Making the Pentagon an Even Bigger Budget Buster, Purging Programs People Need
In the Republican’s budget, programs elevating lives in the working and middle class are sacrificed to enrich the wealthiest and the defense industry.
May 09, 2025
In his budget outline for fiscal year 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump proposes a massive increase in defense spending. An increase coupled with cuts in social and environmental programs defending the health and well-being of the populace. Cuts on top of the destruction of governmental infrastructure by Elon Musk and the invasion of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency—the DOGE troopers—which fractured infrastructure in programs geared toward the well-being of the general public.
Trump’s fascination with his version of an Iron Dome defense system for the United States earlier found its way into one of Trump’s many executive orders. And the House of Representatives has moved closer to including nearly $25 billion for Trump’s now-named Golden Dome within an increase of over $150 billion in defense spending, pushing the Pentagon’s annual budget up to $1,000 billion (that’s $1 trillion).
And the known massive waste in defense expenditures springing from this influence remains basically untouched by DOGE. Let’s not forget, Elon Musk’s companies are part of defense spending.
This will increase the Pentagon’s share of any deficit also fueled by tax cuts Republicans salivate over passing. Those tax cuts disproportionally benefitting the wealthiest as shown in the budget model at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Falsely Blaming Social Security
Republicans frequently hide behind the false narrative that Social Security is the budget buster, not national defense spending nor their get-more-rich tax cuts. Disinformation sadly reinforced by typical charts on federal spending—even those created at the Treasury Department and by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)—showing Social Security the top spender of federal dollars. And sadly bolstering the misinformed (as apparently have been some in Congress and the news media) thinking Social Security grabs more dollars from the same basket of monies as other federal programs, among them the Defense Department.
Such erroneous depiction makes Social Security an easy target for scapegoating to deflect from the real damage in today’s Republican priorities.
Let me make it as clear as possible. Social Security is funded today, as since its creation, principally by its separate dedicated payroll tax, not from the basket of general revenue as is the case in spending at the Pentagon. And it is depletion in general-revenue receipts that leads to budget deficits.
Until recent years, Social Security had surpluses from its dedicated funding source, without a drop needed from the basket of general revenue. Instead buying Treasury securities or bonds as required by law with surplus funds, which in essence was Social Security loaning the government monies to pay for other programs.
In calendar year 2023, Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance combined expenditures were $1,392 billion as reported in the Social Security Trustees 2024 report (Table II.B1., page 7). Social Security’s payroll tax then covered 88.6% of its costs in 2023, or $1,233 billion. The remaining $159 billion in outlays were covered by revenues from taxes on Social Security benefits, interest on Treasury securities or bonds previously bought, and liquidating some of those Treasury securities. At most, about 12% of Social Security costs depended on coverage from revenue other than solely the payroll tax.
Now compare to national defense spending. As reported in Federal Reserve Economic Data, in calendar year 2023 expenditures for national defense totaled $785 billion. This total sum feeding completely from the general-revenue trough. And in 2023 taking at least five times more from that trough than Social Security (785/159) even when including taxes on Social Security benefits. Exclude taxes on benefits ($51 billion) because accounting wise included in Social Security’s separate funding, and the Pentagon consumption is over seven times more (785/108).
Increase Pentagon’s budget to $1,000 billion and, well, spending by the Secretary of Defense becomes an even bigger budget buster.
Attacking Medicaid
Neither is Medicaid a budget buster next to defense spending. CBO shows federal expenditures for Medicaid are $232 billion less than outlays for national defense in reporting available for fiscal year 2024. Less, not more. Despite this, Republicans seem primed to cut Medicaid to partly compensate for another Republican administration raising rather than decreasing the deficit long before Trump’s first administration.
As data reported by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) indicate, about 70% of total spent nationally in fiscal year 2023 across Medicaid programs in each state entailed federal monies. Federal funds already billions less than outlays for national defense. And even more billions less if Republicans ultimately do increase the defense budget as planned.
Given Medicaid is administered by each state with a combination of state and federal monies, some Republican strategies to cut Medicaid include reducing federal monies allowed states, leaving it to states to fill the revenue gap or cut services.
A battle among oligarchs over the expansion of monies in the budget made available to them by Republican lawmakers.
As the Kaiser Family Foundation’s analysis showed, the elderly population receiving Medicaid-paid services, principally in nursing homes or at home, accounted nationally for 20% of total Medicaid spending in 2021. With nearly another third of Medicaid expenses servicing individuals with disabilities, plus around 15% involving services for children.
So happens also, data reported by MACPAC indicate among the 10 states whose Medicaid budgets in 2023 relied the most on federal monies (from between 79% to 82% federal funds in AR, AZ, ID, KY, LA, MS, MT, NM, OK, and WV), nine voted for Trump in 2024. While among the 10 states relying least on federal monies (from between 60% to 64% in CO, CT, MA, MD, MN, NH, NJ, NY, PA, and WY), 8 voted for Kamala Harris.
Seems Republicans have a constituency issue in cutting Medicaid to dampen the increasing deficit spending alone from Trumpian excitement in increasing defense spending, to say nothing about lowering taxes for the wealthiest.
President Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell speech in 1961 stated: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” And the known massive waste in defense expenditures springing from this influence remains basically untouched by DOGE. Let’s not forget, Elon Musk’s companies are part of defense spending.
Then also, as the Government Accountability Office reports, contract spending at the Department of Defense accounts for the majority of federal monies going to private companies. Lockheed Martin, for one, doesn’t even hide drooling over potential contracts for the Golden Dome initiative. The Guardianreports, Musk also is apparently working to steer even more governmental contracts toward his companies. And that apparently includes working to grab new contracted work anticipated in the Golden Dome project.
A battle among oligarchs over the expansion of monies in the budget made available to them by Republican lawmakers. Expansion with rationalization validating through hefty decreases in monies available in programs benefitting the health, education, security, and freedom in communal experience among ordinary people.
Everyday people sacrificed on the altar.
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Egg Prices and the Pentagon Budget: A Tax Day Lament
Last year, the average taxpayer paid $3,707 for weapons and wars. That’s the equivalent of 628 dozen eggs. We need to talk more about why this is.
Apr 15, 2025
Each year for Tax Day, my colleagues and I at the Institute for Policy Studies release a tax receipt so you can learn where your taxes are actually going.
This year, you may be more worried about the price of eggs than your tax dollars. But with President Donald Trump now urging a $1 trillion military budget, it’s worth thinking about what we’re already spending.
Last year, the average taxpayer paid $3,707 for weapons and wars. That’s the equivalent of 628 dozen eggs. So if you thought buying a dozen or two a week for your family was taxing, well, that’s just the beginning.
Taxpayers are directly subsidizing the world’s wealthiest man even as he cuts programs for the poorest people on Earth.
Yet the president and his allies in Congress are planning on spending more for war and mass deportations—and less on just about everything else.
And it is a war budget, make no mistake. President Trump has escalated bombing in Yemen and doubled down on providing weapons to Israel, raising the chances of a new, full-blown Middle East war.
The president is also flirting with war with China, both through his trade war but also more directly. Much of the Pentagon’s future spending is in preparation for a war with China.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk and DOGE are supposed to save money. But look at what they’re cutting: The average taxpayer paid just $39 for USAID last year, the international aid program that DOGE eliminated. For the cost of just six dozen eggs per taxpayer, that saved millions of lives—including millions of children who are now at risk.
DOGE and the president have fired staff and cut programs at the National Institutes of Health that conduct lifesaving cancer research. To discover those cures, the average taxpayer paid $149 in 2024—about 25 dozen eggs. Not a bad investment to help treat cancer.
The president also eliminated a program for museum and library funding for which the average taxpayer paid just $1.43 in 2024—about three eggs. And the president is dismantling an agency called the Interagency Council on Homelessness that coordinates services to help end homelessness, for which the average taxpayer paid just one penny in 2024.
These are just average figures, so those with lower incomes are paying far less for these things. Either way, these aren’t the kinds of cuts you’d make if you were really looking to get the best bang for your buck.
Instead, you might start with weapons contractors. In 2024, the average taxpayer paid $1,430 for Pentagon contractors—the equivalent of 242 dozen eggs.
One of those contractors is SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company. Indeed, SpaceX is benefiting from new Pentagon contracts while Musk takes his chainsaw to cancer research and homeless services. Taxpayers are directly subsidizing the world’s wealthiest man even as he cuts programs for the poorest people on Earth.
Naturally, a $1 trillion Pentagon budget will open the floodgates for more money for contractors, who already get over half the Pentagon budget each year. Cutting that planned $1 trillion by 10% could pay to avert GOP plans to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and food stamps over the next 10 years.
Or you could skip the president’s plans for mass deportations and detentions of immigrants. At $98 for the average taxpayer in 2024, this amount is set to balloon as Congress prepares billions in new funding for the president’s deportations of students, fathers, mothers, and even a U.S. citizen child seeking emergency cancer treatment.
The U.S. needs humane and commonsense immigration law, not an indiscriminate dragnet that scapegoats even legal residents for problems they had no role in creating. We could put that money back into threatened services like the NIH, local libraries, and ending homelessness—or all of the above, given how comparatively cheap those things are.
With many Americans struggling to afford the price of eggs, healthcare, and housing, the government can and should help with those real problems instead of creating new ones with new wars and new mass deportation plans.
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