Bernie Sanders Says America's $1 Trillion Military Spending More Than 'Next Nine Nations Combined' As Millions Lack Healthcare, Children Face Poverty

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday ripped Congress for approving a record military policy bill he said shows Washington's priorities are upside down, arguing lawmakers can't keep pouring money into defense while millions struggle with health care and poverty at home. Sanders Says Defense Spending Crowds Out Needs In a post on X, the Vermont independent wrote, "We are spending $1 trillion every year on the military. That’s more than the next NINE nations combined. Meanwhile, millions lack health care & we have the highest childhood and senior poverty rate of almost any major country. Congress needs to get its priorities straight." We are spending $1 trillion every year on the military. That's more than the next NINE nations combined.Meanwhile, millions lack health care & we have the highest childhood and senior poverty rate of almost any major country.Congress needs to get its priorities straight. pic.twitter.com/sKrceFgN9w— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 18, 2025 Sanders attached a short video in which he argued lawmakers obsess over individual provisions without tallying the total price tag. "When we talk about the defense bill, we talk about this aspect of it. We talk about that aspect of it. But we don’t look at the bill in its totality," Sanders said, adding that "when you add everything up" across defense accounts, "we are spending over $1 trillion a year on the military." See Also: Trump Unveils Lunar, Mars Roadmap In ‘American Space Superiority’ Executive Order Trump Signs NDAA After Bipartisan Votes According to a Reuters report, President Donald Trump signed the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday, extending a streak of annual passage now decades long. The measure cleared the Senate 77-20 and the House 312-112, with Sanders among the "no" votes, according to the Senate's roll call. The bill authorizes a roughly 4% pay raise for service members and sets aside $400 million a year for two years for Ukraine's security assistance, among other provisions. It also includes China-related measures, including heightened scrutiny of some U.S. investment tied to Chinese technology, reflecting bipartisan pressure to compete with Beijing. SIPRI Data Backs Spending Comparison Claim Sanders' argument that the U.S. outspends the next nine militaries aligns with recent comparisons based on data provided by the independent international research organization SIPRI, which put U.S. military spending at $997 billion in 2024. Still, supporters of the NDAA say the spending is necessary to deter rivals and maintain readiness. Sanders, in May, had warned about a $150 billion boost he said should go to housing and working families. Photo Courtesy: lev radin on Shutterstock.com Read Next: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Confirms Satellite Anomaly After Debris Detected In Orbit: ‘Will Reenter The Earth’s Atmosphere And Fully Demise Within Weeks’