PHILADELPHIA (February 14, 2025) – Yesterday, President Trump said that the U.S. should engage with Russia and China to push for denuclearization, noting that the U.S. is wasting money on new and upgraded nuclear bombs when we already have enough weapons to destroy the world fifty times over. He said that by reaching agreements with rival nations, the U.S. could reduce runaway military spending by as much as fifty percent.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) – a Quaker organization that has opposed war and militarism for more than a century – applauded this approach.
“The Trump Administration has made several conflicting statements about the Pentagon budget. But if yesterday’s remarks are turned into policy, it would be an enormous step in the right direction,” said Mike Merryman-Lotze, Just Peace Global Policy Director for AFSC. “Our current levels of military spending are unsustainable and indefensible. Congress needs to cut the military budget and instead invest in human needs.”
The U.S. already spends over $1.1 trillion on the military. This is almost twice as much as all other areas of discretionary spending – including housing, health, energy and the environment, education, science, transportation, and international affairs. In current budget negotiations, Congress is asking for over $342 billion in new militarized spending that would be paid for through cuts to SNAP food assistance, Medicaid, foreign aid, education funding, and more.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.