The Data for Democracy Webinar Series is dedicated to helping our constituents – elected officials, labor leaders, members of the media, organizers and community groups – use NPP's data and tools more effectively. In general, webinars will last one hour, will be interactive and will include state and – when possible – even more localized data.

Congress has appropriated an additional $136.8 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the 2010 fiscal year. National Priorities Project estimates that for this fiscal year, $64.5 billion is directed to Iraq and $72.3 billion to Afghanistan. Bills that included war-related funding were the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 2892) passed on October 28, 2009; the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) passed on December 16, 2009; and the Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 3326) passed on December 19, 2009.

The new “Report of the Task Force on a Unified Security Budget for the United States for Fiscal Year 2010” is now available.  The report finds that while the Obama administration promised “a sweeping shift of priorities and resources in the national security arena,” this promise has not yet been kept. The USB has been produced annually since 2004 by Foreign Policy In Focus of the Institute for Policy studies in Washington, D.C., and draws on a task force whose members are experts in U.S. security spending and military and foreign policy.

National Priorities Project is proud to release the Security Spending Primer: Getting Smart About The Pentagon Budget.  (PDF Document)

This Primer is a “one-stop-shopping” resource and has two main goals: 

• to provide comprehensive, easy-to-understand information on the complexity of the federal budget process; and
• to help build the capacity of people across the United States who want their voices and their priorities to be heard in the debate over federal spending in general and military spending in particular.

The Senate Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill on September 9. The bill includes $497.6 billion for the Department of Defense’s annual “base” budget (not including funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan). This is roughly $3.5 billion below the Obama Administration’s request ($501.1 billion) and $15.4 billion above current levels.

The Obama Administration is in the process of preparing a set of benchmarks which will be used to gage the progress of U.S. military and civilian operations in Afghanistan. Ordered by Congress, the benchmarks are due by September 24. In addition, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has just released an interim assessment of the situation in the region. It has been widely reported that as a result of this assessment, Gen. McChrystal may request that as many as 45,000 additional U.S. troops be sent to Afghanistan.

The following are quick facts about the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan to date. We hope they are useful to you to you as you follow this issue.

Health care is one of the most pressing issues of our time.
National Priorities Project can help you participate in the health care debate and work more effectively to create change. NPP is the only resource in the country providing data that spotlights the intersection of federal spending and human needs over the last 25 years.

Congress has appropriated another $84.8 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the remainder of the 2009 fiscal year ending September 30, 2009. The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama on June 24, 2009, allocates $45.5 billion for war-related actions in Iraq and $39.4 billion to Afghanistan.

The F-22, known as the “Raptor,” is an air-superiority fighter intended to replace a portion of the Air Force’s fleet of F-15s.  The aircraft utilizes “stealth” technologies, and is able to cruise at supersonic speed without afterburners, thus saving fuel. Lockheed-Martin is the prime contractor, while Boeing (airframes) and Pratt & Whitney (engines) are major subcontractors.

This publication offers a look at federal budgets spanning 2008 to 2010, including the Obama administration's first budget.  Since the values embedded in the budget set the parameters for action while reflecting our nation's approach to the common good, citizens are urged to reconcile the numbers presented here with the President's words.