Las Vegas Sun

April 25, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

$3.5 trillion is a good investment

President Joe Biden’s proposed 10-year, $3.5 trillion legislation would benefit over 200 million Americans. Over the past 10 years, the national defense budget benefiting around 2 million Americans was more than $3.5 trillion.

According to the Defense Department, its 2022 budget is $715 billion, so over the next 10 years, it is also likely to exceed $3.5 trillion. Hence, on a per capita basis, Biden’s $3.5 trillion is chump change compared with national defense spending over equal time periods.

In a few minutes, a Google search can inform anyone how many aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles are in the U.S. arsenal. Excess defense spending weakens the United States, as it means more taxes and less money for health care, education, roads, the national debt, etc.

As a small slice of Biden’s $3.5 trillion would be devoted to climate change solutions, it would really benefit over 300 million current Americans and over 300 million future Americans.