Spending critics voted for Pentagon increase

On July 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, HR 2219, by a vote of 336-87. This act appropriates $649 billion for the military. (It does not include funds for veterans' affairs, homeland security, nuclear programs and other military-related expenditures.)

The $649 billion is an increase of more than $17 billion from last year. If the Senate passes this bill, the Pentagon will be the only agency of the government to receive an increase. Of course, there is no waste in the Pentagon budget. The Pentagon is so clean it doesn't need to be audited like other federal agencies.

We have heard in the past weeks loud voices resisting an increase in the government debt limit, with an insistence that any increase in that limit be accompanied by a decrease in spending, with an absolute renunciation of any tax increase for those making more than $1 million. Who are some of the loudest voices in this “anti-government spending/empathize with the rich” act? Republicans Eric Cantor, Steve King, Michele Bachmann and Paul Ryan. Predictably, they all voted for the $649 billion for the military. I call this illogical and hypocritical, but other folks may have more descriptive words.

Ed Flaherty

Veteran for Peace

Iowa City