Cutting National Defense to Expand Leftist Welfare Initiatives

Description

The Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT, ACUF Lifetime 7%) amendment (1788) to the National Defense Authorization Act would cut $74.05 billion (10%) from the defense budget and instead spend the funds on a liberal wish list of initiatives. The programs would be targeted to areas and communities chosen by government and would include “affordable” housing, “free” college, “nutritious” meals, and pay hikes for school employees. ACU supports efforts to help people live happier, healthier, more productive lives by encouraging them to become self-sufficient and opposes socialized economic programs that lead to intergenerational poverty and trigger enormous new tax burdens. ACU also firmly believes in President Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine, opposes this measure which transfers funding from an essential role of government to other wasteful leftist initiatives and opposed this bill. The Senate defeated the amendment on July 22, 2020 by a vote of 23-77.