US House of Representatives passes $883 billion military budget for FY 2025, but won’t support the basic needs of millions who live here

The US House of Representative passed the 2025 US Military budget, know as the National Defense Authorization Act, by a vote of 217 – 199. Several Democrats gave the GOP controlled House enough votes to pass the bill, despite the fact that it has additional components that caused many Democrats to vote no.

According to the site Breaking Defense, there were two provisions in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that some people oppose, such as not allowing abortions for military personnel and not allowing trans people to serve in the military. While these two issues are important, most Democrats would have fully endorsed the US military bill as they always do.

Rep. Hillary Scholten, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, which include Grand Rapids, was one of the Democrats who voted no on the 2025 US Military budget. Scholten objected to the inclusion of anti-trans and anti-abortion provision, although she completely supports the massive US military budget, which she voted for last year.

Here is what Scholten posted on her website about the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act:

“We owe a never-ending debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve our country. That is why this bill, more than any other, should be free from partisan gamesmanship. Unfortunately, extremists in the Republican party have hijacked this bill. We won’t let them. They tried this last year and failed. Ultimately, we were able to come together last December to remove dangerous partisan provisions and pass a bipartisan compromise. The FY25 NDAA that came out of committee was a good, patriotic bill and would have had my support. But Republicans put an extremist wish list before our service members. It’s devastating. It is my hope that the House will work together with the Senate again and get a workable bill soon. I could not support this legislation in its current form.” 

“Our troops deserve support from Congress – and this NDAA falls far short of that promise to those who defend and serve. At a time where democracy is at stake globally, I am calling on my Republican colleagues to come to the table to support a bipartisan bill that keeps America in the driver’s seat of global democracy in support of our allies.”

What Rep. Scholten is really saying here is that she fully supports a massive US military budget because she believes that the world needs to US military. 

Such a statement is truly revealing, since Rep. Scholten, like most politicians at the federal level are committed to US Imperialism, which is US military and economic dominance. 

When Rep. Schoten says she hopes the US Senate can provide a version of the 2025 US military budget that will be a workable bill, she means the following:

• The US will spend more on militarism than the next 9 largest country military budget combined.
• Maintaining the roughly 800 US military bases around the globe, which allows the US military to impose their will on other countries and protect US interests. See the history of US military interventions.  
• The US military is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels globally, which means they are a large contributor to Climate Change. See the excellent research done by the Institute for Police Studies and militarism and global warming.
• The sex trafficking of women and girls by U.S. military men remains an issue plaguing U.S. military bases overseas.
• The US is the largest weapons trafficker globally, arming some of the most repressive government in the world like Israel.

In a House Appropriations Committee Press Release regarding the FY 2025 US military budget it states: Supports our close ally Israel by:

• • Providing $500 million for the Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense Programs, to include Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile defense systems.
  • Providing $80 million above the President’s Budget Request for U.S.-Israeli anti-tunneling cooperation.
  • Providing $55 million above the President’s Budget Request for counter-UAS development and directed energy and laser technology cooperation.
  • Prohibiting funds to withhold the delivery of defense articles and defense services from the United States to Israel, requiring that any defense article withheld from delivery to Israel be delivered within 15 days, and requiring the Secretary of Defense to obligate any remaining un-obligated balances for assistance for Israel within 30 days.
  • Prohibiting funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

What this all means is that Rep. Hillary Scholten, like most members of Congress, fully support US militarism and US Imperialism. The FY 2025 US military budget will get bipartisan support, so don’t be fooled by the spectacle and start thinking and opposing why the US spends more on militarism than providing support to the most vulnerable and marginalized living in the US.