Budget Matters Blog

Category: Military & Security


How $9.3 Billion Funds Coronavirus Outbreaks in Federal Prisons

Mass incarceration is leading to some of the worst coronavirus hotspots in the United States.


Defund the Police, Defund Militarization

U.S. budgets are characterized by a prioritization of militarization over human life and needs. It's time to defund.


Defund the Police, Invest in Communities

Local governments have a revenue problem, while America has a policing problem. There’s a simple solution.


Police Violence Is Enabled by Massive Spending

The Black Lives Matter protest movement shows again why America needs to defund bloated and militarized police departments.


In a Pandemic, Military Spending is an Extravagant Waste

In the very near future, countries are going to have to choose whether they make guns or vaccines.


The U.S. Military is a Major Polluter, but "Greening the Military" is a False Solution

The largest industrial military in the world is also one of the biggest polluters. Maintaining a massive military requires significant investment in carbon-intensive infrastructure and gas-guzzling equipment. The carbon footprint of the military is tremendous. So why isn’t “greening the military” a good solution?


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.


Introducing: No Warming, No War: How Militarism Fuels the Climate Crisis - and Vice Versa

Today, on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the National Priorities Project is proud to release No Warming, No War: How Militarism Fuels the Climate Crisis - and Vice Versa. 


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.


We Need a Stimulus that Serves People Over Profit

Rather than restoring the status quo, we have the opportunity to forge a different path that invests in real security for Americans.