John,
For decades, legacy military contractors have charged the federal government exorbitant amounts of money for everything from fighter jets to basic hardware. Lockheed Martin, for example, has used its monopoly on F-35 fighter jets to profit from maintenance only they can provide, and the work needed support and upgrade existing jets is expected to cost taxpayers over $1.3 trillion. TransDigm, another contractor responsible for supplying spare parts for the military, was found to be charging the Pentagon more than four times the market price for their products.
And this latest defense budget only feeds this pattern. This defense spending proposal constitutes 56 percent of our nation’s discretionary budget, and about half of that is allocated to defense contractors.
Keeping America strong starts at home. It means ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare and education, strengthening our economy with good-paying jobs, and giving Americans the tools they need to pursue the American Dream. Sign if you agree: Bloated military spending is not the answer. We must put our tax dollars to help working Americans at home. |
I was proud to be the sole dissenting vote on the $886 billion defense budget in the House Armed Services Committee recently. The decision was obvious to me: We can’t continue to sign a blank check to price-gouging defense contractors while Americans struggle here at home. We have an obligation to invest taxpayer money in programs and policies that are designed to support the American public and move our country forward. It’s time for us to put our country’s needs before the profits of military contractors.
In solidarity, Ro |
