2021-11-24 09:58:09

Why Does the Bloated Military Budget Get a Pass?


Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Stephen Semler, Co-Founder of the Security Policy Reform Institute


Intense debate over the Build Back Better legislation has triggered stern lectures by fiscal conservatives about over spending. The legislation, which hangs in the political balance between progressive lawmakers and conservative Democrats like Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin, costs a mere $175 billion each year, adding up to $1.75 trillion over ten years.

But now, there is hardly a squeak of protest from Sinema, Manchin, and their Republican colleagues about Biden’s proposed military budget of $753 billion per year, which is more than 4 times the annual cost of the Build Back Better legislation.

According to the Security Policy Reform Institute, “This amounts to an increase of well over $12 billion, meaning that Biden boosted Pentagon funding by an amount roughly equivalent to CDC’s entire annual budget.”

Rising Up with Sonali is a radio and television show that brings progressive news coverage rooted in gender and racial justice to a wide audience. Rising Up With Sonali was built on the foundation of Sonali Kolhatkar's earlier show, Uprising, which became the longest-running drive-time radio show on KPFK in Los Angeles hosted by a woman. RUS airs on Free Speech TV every weekday.

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Build Back Better Free Speech TV Joe Manchin Krysten Sinema Military Military Budget Over Spending Rising Up wth Sonali Security Policy Reform Institute Sonali Kolhatkar Stephen Semler

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