The “Big Beautiful Bill” federal budget bill passed by House Republicans, which calls for huge increases in defense spending at a time when the U.S. is not at war, reemphasizes the American capitalist system’s flawed priorities. Trump’s BBB bill allocates $144 billion for defense, while slashing $1.6 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP while imposing work requirements and funding cuts. These cuts would deny health coverage to 14 million Americans by 2034 and leave 3 million households without food. Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP plan to gut social safety net programs, which are already suboptimal, at a time when poverty and homelessness are surging. Military expansion always trumps domestic needs, as inequality keeps growing. In 2024, the U.S. poverty rate rose to 12.9%, afflicting 42 million people, while homelessness hit a record 771,000 people, an 18% increase from 2023, including 150,000 children. Why are billions funneled into defense when so many ordinary Americans face economic hardship?
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