John,

Federal dollars that go to wasteful Department of Defense contracts is money that does not go to human needs. And as budget negotiations ramp up, there’s concern that there could be a bipartisan effort to increase defense spending.

We already know that a return to fiscal year 2022 levels on human needs programs would result in a 22% cut to nutrition, education, housing, and other critical needs programs -- assuming House leadership maintains current Pentagon spending levels. But, an increase in Pentagon spending could result in even deeper cuts to programs relied on by millions of working people and people with low incomes.

We’re fighting back, demanding Congress increase, not cut, funding for children, families, seniors, people with disabilities, and others most in need. Donate today to demand Congress prioritize essential funding for human needs, not wasteful Pentagon contracts.

The US military budget is currently $858 billion, more than China, Russia, and the next seven countries combined. Experts say that if current trends continue, it will not be long before defense spending exceeds $1 trillion per year.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

The U.S. has the largest military budget in the world. More than half of it goes to corporations contracting with the Pentagon. The Pentagon, unlike other departments of government, has not been able to pass an audit. We cannot continue to spend reckless amounts on wasteful Pentagon contracts while children are unhoused and underfed. Donate $5 today to demand Congress invest in vulnerable communities.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Expanding the Pentagon’s budget year after year without a careful look at where the funds are going undermines our security by preventing us from investing in the shared prosperity that comes from more housing, climate, and public health protections.

Thank you for all you do to fight back against a bloated Pentagon budget and fight for marginalized communities,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs