Dear John,

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

-Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

This country’s spending on the Pentagon and nuclear weapons is done in the name of “national security.” Not to mention the billions more for “homeland security,” largely in the form of immigration enforcement, deportations, and border militarization.

Meanwhile, thousands of people in Florida and Puerto Rico are without basic security after Hurricane Ian, having lost power, homes and loved ones to the latest in the string of extreme weather events that have grown more frequent and more devastating due to climate change.

If these events aren’t national security threats, then what do the words “national security” even mean?

Thanks to the unyielding work of activists, the U.S. has just committed to our first major investment in getting off fossil fuels. The Inflation Reduction Act is far from perfect, but it represents a huge win for climate activists, humankind, and the planet.

One of its biggest imperfections is that it simply isn’t enough — after decades of inaction, we need even more investment to end our dependence on fossil fuels and to promise the resilient energy grids and infrastructure that can provide security during the extreme weather events of our new era.

And yet, as the Senate prepares to consider their version of the National Defense Authorization Act this month or next, they’re poised to add $65 billion to a Pentagon and nuclear weapons budget that’s already 21 times the annual climate investment of the Inflation Reduction Act.

All this in the name of “national security.” Maybe it doesn’t mean what they think it means?

In peace,

Lindsay, Ashik, & the NPP team

TRADEOFF: WE CAN'T AFFORD IT?

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest investment in climate security in United States history.

But climate investment under the IRA will average just $37 billion per year over the next ten years. The annual budget for the Pentagon and nuclear weapons is now more than 21 times that much — $782 billion for FY 2022 — and is poised to grow by as much as $65 billion this year alone, to $847 billion for FY 2023.

Against the enormity of the climate crisis, the IRA just doesn't measure up to this country's military investments.

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DIRTY DEAL DEFEATED

In exchange for West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin's support for the Inflation Reduction Act, Senate Democrats seemed to be offering him a "dirty deal" to fast-track fossil fuel projects. But growing grassroots opposition made it clear that the dirty deal didn't have the votes — last week, Manchin finally withdrew his proposal.

This is a win for "hundreds of national and grassroots organizations, along with concerned Americans from coast to coast, working together for the health and safety of frontline communities and a livable future for the planet."

This doesn't mean it's dead forever. Proponents are already making noises about attaching it to the National Defense Authorization Act next month — so we will need to keep up the pressure for the next fight.

US EYES UP "OPPORTUNITY"
FOR MORE ARMS SALES

A National Security Council official told a weapons industry audience that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting sanctions against Russian exports, provided an “opportunity” for U.S. arms dealers to sell more weapons around the world.

The U.S. is already the world’s largest arms exporter, by far. But Russia has been number two on that list, and the U.S. arms industry may stand poised to grow ever larger as the Biden administration and industry leaders collaborate to seize this “opportunity” to sell more weapons.

“I understand some of my colleagues, including the Majority Leader, have different priorities than I do, but I think this is the most important bill we do all year.”

—Senator James Inhofe, speaking of the National Defense Authorization Act