Budget Matters Blog

Entries By Ashik Siddique


The Pentagon Blew $1 Billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds on Military Equipment

The Pentagon misused much of $1 billion in congressionally appropriated COVID-19 relief funding, funneling it mostly to military contractors and using the money to make things like jet engine parts, body armor, and dress uniforms. What could that have paid for instead?


Ten Better Uses for Ten Percent of the Pentagon Budget

With military spending at historically high levels, and with additional increases under President Trump, a 10% cut is an overdue correction to the bloated Pentagon budget. Here's how we could spend that $74 billion instead.


The U.S. Spends More on Its Military Than the Next 10 Countries Combined

The United States was the biggest driver of this growth, with its $732 billion in 2019 accounting for a full 38% of global military spending. That's more than the next 10 countries combined, a marked increase from the previous year when it was merely larger than the next seven combined.


Against Coronavirus, the Defense Production Act Can Redirect Militarized Industries

If civilian production can be shifted to be useful right now against the coronavirus, so should military production. This is an excellent time to invoke the Defense Production Act to redirect the industrial capacity of military contractors.


If $1.5 Trillion Exists to Bail Out Wall Street from Coronavirus, We Can Fund Actual Needs for All

The Federal Reserve just injected $1.5 trillion into the banking system to prop up crashing markets spooked by the coronavirus pandemic. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that our government can’t afford to provide nice — and necessary — things for all of us.


Against a Global Coronavirus Pandemic, the Trump Budget Keeps Militarizing America

As fears grow of a global coronavirus pandemic, the United States is in a poor situation to cope. Aggressive messaging from the White House assures the public that the "full weight of the U.S. government" is working to keep Americans safe from the disease, but those words are belied by...


Trump's 2021 budget cuts all federal agencies—except militarized ones

President Trump released his fourth budget proposal this week, and the priorities are crystal clear. Across the board, the 2021 budget request prioritizes brute force and militarization over humanitarian and diplomatic solutions. While militarized agencies rate spending increases, just about every non-militarized department is on the chopping block.


11% of the Military Budget Could Fund Enough Renewable Energy for Every Home in the US

There are 127,586,000 households total in the U.S., according to the most recent Census. The cost of wind power for the average US household for one year is $581.28  as of 2018, and the cost for solar electiricty is $623.92. 127.59 million households × $581.28 (Cost per Household with Wind Power...


Trump's 4th of July Fiasco is a Salute to Pentagon Waste

This 4th of July, President Trump is flaunting some of the Pentagon's deepest money pits on the National Mall.


What Still Wasn’t Said in Democratic Debate Night #2

Another ten candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination answered questions last night in the second of back-to-back debates.  The contenders and moderators said a bit more about our government’s highly militarized current priorities than last night, but still left much to be desired. Here’s what they did bring up...