What's in the FY 2022 budget deal for the military?

cartoon image of green bombs with dollar signs, falling in a blue sky

The budget deal announced today continues a longstanding trend of overfunding the military and underfunding domestic and human needs, providing $782 billion for the miltiary - $29 billion more than the already massive budget President Biden and the Pentagon requested - and only $730 billion for domestic priorities. 

The Pentagon budget is already higher than at the peak of the Vietnam War or Cold War, and higher than the next 11 countries combined.

At a time when the world is searching for answers to Russia's inexcusable and devastating invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. military budget is also 12 times the size of Russia's. More military spending is clearly not the answer.

The bill is also devastating for immigrant communities and those hoping this administration and Congress would usher in a more humane immigration policy. It continues or increases Trump-era funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol, the agencies responsible for family separations and millions of detentions.

Here are four things we know about military spending in this deal:

  • Military spending up $42 billion - The spending deal released today calls for $782 billion in military spending, up $42 billion from Trump's level and almost 30 percent higher than Obama's last budget.
  • Budget is 51% military - Compared to just $730 billion for domestic spending, that amounts to more than 51% of federal discretionary spending for the military and war.
  • It's not about Ukraine - The $6.5 billion in Department of Defense funding for Ukraine amounts to less than 1 percent of all military spending. The bill provides $4 billion for the State Department for Ukraine, and $2.8 billion for USAID. Diplomacy and humanitarian aid are the only ways to preserve human life and end this crisis.
  • Continues Trump-era immigration enforcement - The bill increases  funding for ICE and CBP, the agencies responsible for family separations and deportations, and continues Trump-era levels of immigrant detention at 34,000 people. It also fails to rescind unspent funds for Trump's border wall.