A quick data note: Defense spending

Speaking Security Newsletter | Congressional Candidate Advisory Note 6 | 6 May 2020

A caveat to pie charts

The pandemic response authorized and appropriated by Congress resembles the annual discretionary budget: a lot of corporate welfare and minimal support for the working class.

Another similarity is that the closer you look, the uglier it gets. Take the below graphic, for example. The obvious problem is that defense obligations occupy well over one-half of the discretionary budget. But it becomes even more appalling if you include the other stuff that is funded in the name of national security, including portions of non-defense budgets like those for the State Department, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

So while the image below says $718 billion (~57 percent of discretionary budget), that’s just for defense. Factor in the rest and you’ll see that national security spending is actually closer to $900 billion (~70 percent of discretionary budget).

Is your opponent part of the problem?

Most likely. Here’s a breakdown of the votes for the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 in the Senate and House, respectively:

Of course, they voted for an amended version, but the similarities are easier to state than the differences between the final bill and Trump’s budget request. Here are the votes for each: Senate, House (there was also a part II to FY2020’s appropriations, which played out in pretty much the same way. Votes, here: Senate, House). 

In solidarity,

Stephen (stephen@securityreform.org; @stephensemler)