The Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill is a Big Ugly Disaster for the People and the Planet

CODEPINK Statement

CODEPINK strongly opposes the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill”. This dangerous budget is quite literally a textbook example of a nation that puts “guns over butter,” benefiting only weapons manufacturers and the ultra-rich while legislating massive cuts to our healthcare programs and food stamps – two systems working-class families rely on to make ends meet.

The United States already spends more on its military than the next ten countries combined. The $150 billion defense portion of the "Big Beautiful Bill" will drive national spending on “defense” over a trillion dollars. Instead of stopping violence and providing any form of real security, this budget makes the world more unstable by pushing us closer to a catastrophic war on China, as well as funding and militarizing the Gestapo-like fascist ICE program here at home.

The funding also maintains the 800+ military bases all over the globe that are destroying indigenous ecosystems and violating the sovereignty of those whose land we occupy. It continues the U.S. support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the illegal occupation of Palestine, and undemocratic coups in Africa, all of which destabilize the world, make future enemies, and destroy the planet. These funds could instead end homelessness, provide universal healthcare, transition to renewable energy, or cancel student debt.

It would be bad enough if the BBB did all these things alone; however, it does these things while stealing from the people who need the funds the most. The disgraceful tax cuts for the super wealthy and the money for war and global destabilization are being paid for off the backs of working-class people in the United States, who are struggling to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and cannot afford to see a doctor if they are sick. The majority of Americans, now living paycheck to paycheck, do not want this. Not only do they not want this, but they cannot afford it either.

This bill is a demonstration that the political class in this country only cares about themselves and their rich friends. They are content to leave the working people of the United States behind. Our tax dollars are meant to be spent on our needs. Instead, the treasury has been hijacked by the war machine. It’s guns over butter, and we are all going to pay the price for it.

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