CODEPINK Statement on SASC $25 Billion Pentagon Budget Increase

CODEPINK, a women-led peace organization, calls on Congress to reject the Senate Armed Services Committee's $740 billion topline military budget, a $25 billion increase over the Biden Administration's record-high military budget request for Fiscal Year 2022. CODEPINK notes that the $25 billion increase alone could eradicate homelessness each year in the United States.

"Just the proposed $25 billion increase to the Pentagon budget alone could end homelessness in the United States, making clear that Senators are more interested in increasing the profits of military contractors than meeting the needs of everyday working people," says Carley Towne, CODEPINK co-director. "While millions of Americans are steeped in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, facing eviction, and struggling to pay medical bills amidst an ongoing health pandemic and recession, the Senate Armed Services Committee decided to hurl even more taxpayer dollars at an increasingly privatized for-profit war industry."

The Senate Armed Services Committee's increased Pentagon budget is completely out of step with the priorities of the majority of Americans. A poll found that the majority of Americans support decreasing defense spending to increase funding for domestic priorities.

"Right now, Congress Members across the political spectrum are currently capitalizing off the grossly inflated threat of China to justify this massive increase to the Pentagon budget to the American public," says Madison Tang, CODEPINK China Campaign Coordinator. "While these warhawks profit, we know our planet and species cannot survive this continual increase in U.S. military spending; $25 Billion more for the Pentagon budget will only further accelerate the climate crisis, through the military's astronomical emissions and devastation of ecosystems across the world."

In light of the Biden Administration's announcement that the United States will be withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by September 2021, the Pentagon budget should reflect at least a corresponding $50 billion reduction and not transfer our military spending focus to the Asia-Pacific.

At the end of the day, the Federal budget is up to all of Congress to decide, not the Senate Armed Services Committee. We call on Congress to reduce the Pentagon budget by at least 10% and instead invest in what will truly make us safe: universal healthcare, good jobs, and addressing the climate crisis.

Act Now:

It's now more important than ever to contact your representatives and send them the CODEPINK guide to Pentagon budget cuts to demand that they show their support to reduce the Pentagon budget and invest in human needs!