The Biden Budget Does Some Good But Could Do More If It Cut The Pentagon

It’s clear that keeping the status quo on Pentagon spending means needlessly keeping millions mired in poverty

By Lindsay Koshgarian, National Priorities Project

The president’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, released March 9, was heralded by human needs groups for preserving and in some cases expanding critical human needs programs to address poverty, hunger, health care, and protect children and seniors in particular.

But as the above chart shows, the Biden budget continues to fund the Pentagon and war at levels that far outpace all federal programs for housing, education, public health, and more.

The Biden budget does a few big things to take on poverty and help those who are struggling:

• It would restore the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax credit to levels that helped slash poverty during the pandemic.

• It would provide nutrition and free school meals to 9 million additional children.

• It would provide $59 billion in new funds toward the construction of affordable housing and increase rental vouchers for affordable rentals.