More than 60 advocacy groups are pressing senators to back a push by Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey to cut the $740.5 billion military budget by 10 percent.
Senator Bernie Sanders speaking against the National Defense Authorization Act on U.S. Senate floor, June 25, 2020. (C-Span screenshot)
By Jessica Corbett
Common Dreams
More than 60 progressive advocacy groups representing millions of members across the U.S. are pressuring senators to pass an amendment led by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would cut the proposed Pentagon budget by 10 percent and redirect the $74 billion in savings toward funding healthcare, education, jobs, and housing in impoverished and neglected communities.
“Our militarism budget is out of control,” a coalition of 61 advocacy groups wrote in a letter (pdf) to senators on Monday. “In 2019, the United States spent more money on our military than the next nine countries combined. The Department of Defense’s budget eclipses that of federal courts, education, the State Department, local economic development, public health, and environmental protection combined, yet the Pentagon is incapable of passing a basic audit.”
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) currently under consideration in the Senate calls for a $740.5 billion military budget for fiscal year 2021. Last week, Sanders and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) unveiled an amendment that would reduce the proposed outlay by 10 percent and use the savings to “create a federal grant program to fund healthcare, housing, childcare, and educational opportunities for cities and towns experiencing a poverty rate of 25% or more.”
Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have introduced a companion amendment in the House. Lee has also introduced a resolution proposing up to $350 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget by closing U.S. military bases overseas, ending funding for ongoing wars, and slashing private service contracting.
Defund the Pentagon budget.
— Barbara Lee (@BLeeForCongress) June 25, 2020
The coalition of progressive advocacy groups—which includes Public Citizen, RootsAction, CodePink, and Win Without War—wrote Monday that “common-sense steps” like “eliminating redundant and unusable weapons systems, ending wars, ceasing reliance on expensive contractors, and rejecting new nuclear weapons development” would “allow us to properly focus our investments on our most urgent and pressing human needs.”
“The jarring recent images of police with weapons of war in our streets is a stark reminder of how militarism and white supremacy drive misplaced spending priorities both at home and abroad,” the groups wrote. “Meanwhile, all over the country, millions have lost their jobs and access to healthcare as the novel coronavirus pandemic rages on. The current moment should force us to confront the reality that, for too long, we have invested in the wrong priorities, the wrong tools, and the wrong solutions.”
In a virtual “Putting People Over Pentagon” town hall Monday night, some of the organizations behind the letter joined progressive lawmakers to discuss the urgent need to reduce America’s bloated military budget and invest in key domestic priorities.
“This 10% cut is eminently doable and reasonable,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said during the event. “But it’s not going to be easy… As progressives, it is our job to redefine and reimagine what it is to be strong. Strong means an end to endless wars and a return to robust diplomacy and international coalition building.”
LIVE: Putting People Over the Pentagon virtual town hall https://t.co/qNlNmWa5wu
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) June 29, 2020
Read the full letter:
“The undersigned organizations, representing our millions of members across the country, write to you in strong support of the proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 that would reallocate 10 percent of the bloated Pentagon budget toward severely underfunded human needs priorities—many of which are more critical than ever as our country continues to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. We urge you to co-sponsor Amendment 1788 introduced by Senators Sanders and Markey, and vote in support should it reach the Senate floor.
Our militarism budget is out of control. In 2019, the United States spent more money on our military than the next nine countries combined. The Department of Defense’s budget eclipses that of federal courts, education, the State Department, local economic development, public health, and environmental protection combined, yet the Pentagon is incapable of passing a basic audit.
Multiple analyses have determined that U.S. and collective security would not suffer, and in fact would improve by, cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from the runaway Pentagon budget through common-sense steps, like eliminating redundant and unusable weapons systems, ending wars, ceasing reliance on expensive contractors, and rejecting new nuclear weapons development. These overdue steps would instead allow us to properly focus our investments on our most urgent and pressing human needs. Polling demonstrates that this is a popular idea, and most American voters want to see money redirected from the Pentagon to invest in human security.
The jarring recent images of police with weapons of war in our streets is a stark reminder of how militarism and white supremacy drive misplaced spending priorities both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, all over the country, millions have lost their jobs and access to healthcare as the novel coronavirus pandemic rages on. The current moment should force us to confront the reality that, for too long, we have invested in the wrong priorities, the wrong tools, and the wrong solutions.
As a point of comparison: last year, the Centers for Disease Control budget was $7 billion, just 7 percent of the national policing budget, and less than 1 percent of the Pentagon budget. Those three figures alone tell a tragic story about what and who this country prioritizes and values.
We should no longer tolerate unchecked spending on systems that fuel violence and corporate greed at the expense of the basic needs of our people. This amendment is a crucial step toward a federal budget that actually aligns with our values. We strongly urge you to support it.”
Please Contribute to Consortium
News on its 25th Anniversary
Donate securely with 
The military budget is NOT $740 billion.
It is $1,134 billion. That is the true figure.
Literally more than the rest of the world combined.
A long list of military spending is not included in the military budget.
To give just one example of many, the cost of producing and maintaining nuclear weapons does not count as part of the military budget.
The Russian Federation can develop and produce weapons that are far superior to anything the US has in its arsenal at a mere fraction of the cost but we have to discuss a mere 10% cut of the US’ bloated military budget that produces nothing but poor quality equipment and less than adequate benefits for our troops…
I don’t understand how people don’t understand that we are governed by a bought-and-paid-for Congress and that the Senate is the most corporate and corrupt body of legal thieves since Rome. You really think Bernie can get what he wants out of these traitorous shills!?!? You’re criticisms of his methods and his goals and his never ending work on behalf of the country he loves and so do I, are pissy, whinny, I want my noony! pointless, useless rants. As you sit securely behind your computer screen and DO NOTHING? Thank god for Bernie.
50 PERCENT, AT LEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND CLOSE ALL OF THE FOREIGN BASES, TOO!!!!
And END ALL of our warmaking, reduce our weapons (nukes et al) caches to the numbers we demand of other countries…
Ten percent??? Really??? Ten percent???
My thought exactly. And this from a “radical socialist”? There is no hope.
So $74 Billion dollars is chump change to you?
When was the last time the military budget was cut? 10% is doable. More and nothing will get done.
You already have the NY Times cheer leading another cold war spewing lies about Russia paying the Taliban to attack US troops. So with those headlines blaring, do you honestly think you can cut more than 10% from the military?
The Democrats want to increase not cut the military budget. So do you really think in this climate you will get other politicians to sign on to a cut in military spending?
Joe-
$74 Billion IS chump change to the Pentagon. However, the chance of even that happening is nil with our current Congress. Plus the $$ they receive from the MIC ensures that will not change. Unfortunately, it will take pitchforks and guillotines to bring any real change.
“Lee has also introduced a resolution proposing up to $350 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget by closing U.S. military bases overseas, ending funding for ongoing wars, and slashing private service contracting.”
That seems like a reasonable start, but Bernie’s 10% cut (less than the last raise approved by the Democratic House) is entirely inadequate.
I agree that ten per cent is not enough, but I think it’s an acceptable amount for this effort. The real issue is whether the defense budget can be cut at all. Once that precedent is set, it will be time for debate on how much more it should be cut.
I think the effort might be aided by legislation rejecting the “full spectrum dominance” doctrine and substituting for it, “reasonable deterrence from attack.” The former is an approach only needed to wage wars of aggression; a defensive posture is what is needed and far less expensive.
The problem I have with starting a debate over a 10% cut is that it starts the wrong debate. A debate over a 10% cut is not a debate about whether or not to dismantle empire, but rather whether or not empire can be maintained more cheaply. At least Lee’s resolution calling for the closure of overseas imperial garrisons and the end of our foreign wars of aggression is a call to dramatically curtail US militarism.
Absolutely my thoughts – Barbara Lee’s demands are much closer to the needed mark (better yet – let the MICIMATT lot go WITHOUT funding for several years and force them to account for every single cent of the past twenty years worth of Tax monies they’ve been given, no strings attached).
I agree, Paul. It looks like a mere gesture, but a first step gets people thinking about military cuts.
Those who oppose will be exposed in the extreme distortion of their priorities.
If Trump opposes despite his campaign promises, then he is exposed during election season.
Many who might support the bills will go no further than the gesture, but that will expose them as well.
The question is whether the election passage takes away the majority needed to extend the military cuts.
The epidemic is so far out of control that this may provide a majority to focus spending on domestic needs.
I figure any attempt to cut defense spending will be followed by the congress giving more money to Israel. Neither party seems to have any problems with passing legislation that back door money to Israel regardless of the legislation’s intent!
10% cut my butt! The US just finalized a deal with Israel that gives them, what would have been $32 billion over ten years, but instead they asked and we gave them $38 billion of over ten years. This amount would be about half of what is proposed here $76 billion. For what our defense. Me thinks not Bjuckaroos!
Don’t look now but the US position of full “spectrum dominance” is fast becoming a thing of the past. Look up the definition of defense, it does not mean dominate the world.
With things the way the stand currently with the defense department the only way they would give up $76 billion is to be guaranteed that they would get $76 billion “TO STUDY” the affects of a $76 billion dollar cut in the defense budget. Y’ all got that?
Give me a break!
Military spending needs to be cut unilaterally , just as both parties run the same slow-con on us, immediately, we are in the middle of a national disaster, and the pentagon should be told figure out how to run the military on $200 million less a year or else do wthout like everyone else does when the money runs out.
If planners a the pentagon are dong their jobs they already have a plan on the books or should have. For the sake of DOG they work for us, WTF, figure this shit out!
BUT, I do find myself mostly in agreement with Paul E Merrell, he is right about this. It must be stopped,.
Here’s a way to solve our budget problems AND provide for adequate defense:
NATIONALIZE THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY
If we are living in a world of evil-doers who want to destroy the USA (as the right wing hysterically proclaims incessantly) why are we allowing PRIVATE, FOR-PROFIT corporations to control the means of protecting our very existence?????
If our “defense” is that critical, it is as important as the government run US military. Oh. Wait. Betsy DeVos’s brother Eric Prince wants to privitize our military, too. Of course, in most places where armed men are under the control of private individuals, we call those controllers “war lords”.
America is now the world’s longest running rogue nation.
This might work – but somehow I doubt it…someone, some where would see a way to utilize what should BE a Defense set up for global domination via invasion, creating, training funding such as the mujahadeen (cum Taliban, cum ISIS whatever), huge stockpiles of nuclear and other weapons. And while figuring out the strategies necessary for them and their cronies (politicos etc) to make money, as now, off the ordinary taxpayer, we would still have a war industry, set of institutions, not a purely defensive one.
I guess I don’t trust any of them.
VallejoD, I agree with you about the defense industry and the nuclear industry must be included too. If the country is to survive both must happen.