Quick summary:
• Bernie Sanders criticized Congress for approving a nearly $900 billion military budget while claiming there’s no money for housing, healthcare, and education.
• The Senate advanced the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 with an 83-12 bipartisan vote, allocating $850 billion to the Pentagon.
• Sanders highlighted the hypocrisy of lawmakers rejecting social investments while funding the military-industrial complex, despite reports of waste and fraud.
• Militarized spending accounts for nearly two-thirds of federal discretionary spending, resulting in underfunding for housing, Social Security, and Medicare expansion.
• Mitch McConnell called the current military budget “not nearly enough,” urging the incoming Trump administration to further increase defense spending.
• The Pentagon has failed audits but continues to receive near-unanimous congressional support for higher budgets.
• Sanders called for rebalancing federal spending to prioritize working families over defense contractors.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a sharp rebuke to his colleagues in Congress on Monday, decrying the hypocrisy of lawmakers who argue the federal government cannot afford critical social programs while consistently approving nearly $900 billion annually for military spending. Speaking on the Senate floor ahead of a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, Sanders called out the disconnect in budget priorities that leaves millions of Americans without adequate housing, healthcare, and education.
“I find it amusing that any time we come to the floor and members point out that we have a housing crisis, that we have some 600,000 Americans who are homeless, that we have millions and millions of people in this country spending 40, 50, 60% of their limited incomes on housing and that we need to invest in low-income and affordable housing, what I hear is, ‘We don’t have the money,’” Sanders (I-Vt.) said.
“When we talk about increasing Social Security benefits, well, ‘we just can’t afford to do that. We just can’t afford to expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, or vision. We just cannot afford to make higher education in America affordable.’ That’s what I hear every single day. When there’s an effort to improve life for the working class of this country, I hear, ‘No, no, no, we can’t afford it.’ But when it comes to the military-industrial complex and their needs, what we hear is ‘yes, yes, yes’ with almost no debate.”
Shortly after Sanders’ speech, the Senate voted 83-12 to advance the NDAA, which authorizes $895 billion in military spending for Fiscal Year 2025, including $850 billion for the Pentagon. Sanders was among the dozen senators who voted no, arguing that such an enormous allocation reflects a systemic prioritization of defense spending at the expense of domestic needs.
The bill, expected to pass the Senate as early as Wednesday, comes amid rising bipartisan support for increasing the military budget. Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has repeatedly pushed for greater defense funding, claiming in a recent Foreign Affairs article that the $900 billion the U.S. spends annually on its military is “not nearly enough.”
According to the National Priorities Project, militarized funding—including the Pentagon budget, foreign military aid, and nuclear weapons programs—already accounts for nearly two-thirds of all federal discretionary spending. This focus has resulted in what the organization describes as “consistent under-investment in human needs.”
Sanders highlighted the consequences of Congress’ lopsided budget priorities, pointing to the ongoing housing crisis, the growing burden of medical expenses, and the rising costs of higher education. Nearly 600,000 Americans are homeless, millions struggle to afford basic housing, and proposals to expand Medicare or increase Social Security benefits are regularly dismissed as too expensive.
“When it comes to the needs of the military-industrial complex and their lobbyists and that industry which makes millions in campaign contributions, we give them what they want, despite the overwhelming evidence of waste and fraud,” Sanders said. “I think it’s time to tell the military-industrial complex they cannot get everything they want. It’s time to pay attention to the needs of working families.”
The Pentagon’s inability to pass an audit further underscores the issue of accountability, Sanders noted. Despite ongoing reports of waste and fraud within defense budgets, the military-industrial complex continues to receive near-unanimous support from Congress.
As lawmakers debated the NDAA, McConnell and other Republicans called for an even greater allocation to defense. McConnell argued that the incoming Trump administration must “commit to a significant and sustained increase in defense spending,” positioning military readiness as a top priority.
Sanders and progressive lawmakers have pushed back against this narrative, warning that unchecked military spending exacerbates economic inequality and diverts resources from critical domestic investments. The senator emphasized the need to rebalance federal priorities, ensuring that working families, rather than defense contractors, receive the government’s attention and funding.
Organizations like the National Priorities Project have long advocated for a shift in federal spending, arguing that the U.S. budget disproportionately favors defense at the expense of social programs. Their research reveals how militarized funding crowds out essential investments in areas like affordable housing, healthcare, and education, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable.
Sanders echoed this sentiment in his speech, urging Congress to rethink its spending priorities. “It’s time to ask why we have unlimited money for the military-industrial complex but can’t find the resources to address homelessness, expand Medicare, or ensure that all Americans have access to affordable higher education,” he said.
To take action and tell Congress to support human needs, not endless war and militarism, join the movement at American Friends Service Committee.
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