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March 11th, President Biden released his proposed discretionary budget for federal Fiscal Year 2025 which starts in October. This "discretionary budget" includes such things as health, education, veterans' benefits, housing, transportation and the military, among many others.
When it comes to military spending the President's proposed numbers for the upcoming fiscal year are a starting point to which Congress tacks on what it wants along with supplements that the President and Congress agree to.
By the time FY 2025 starts in Oct., the Pentagon (Dept. of Defense) budget could easily be $1 trillion. Right now, FY 2024, the Pentagon budget is running at $886 billion and with months still to go additional supplemental expenditures could be added on. In 2021, the Pentagon budget was $752 billion.
In recent years Pentagon spending is tipping over 50% of the country's total annual discretionary budget. The Dept. of Energy stocks the US nuclear weapons arsenal and operates the US nuclear weapons modernization program. This adds billions on to what is military spending and skews the military percentage of the total annual discretionary budget even higher.
Where People Want Tax Dollars to Go
Where People Want Tax Dollars to Go
Brooklyn For Peace is an active members of the MTM coalition. It has been conducting a poll at street fairs by giving people a bag of 20 pennies, and asking them to "spend" those pennies according to how they think the government should spend tax dollars
The chart to the left illustrates what Brooklynites think about what federal discretionary spending should be.
Many are shocked to see how differently the pie is really being sliced.
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