{"id":38485,"date":"2020-05-19T20:31:36","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T20:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/19\/house-progressives-demand-pentagon-cuts-citing-pandemic\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:04:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:04:56","slug":"house-progressives-demand-pentagon-cuts-citing-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2020\/05\/19\/house-progressives-demand-pentagon-cuts-citing-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"House progressives demand Pentagon cuts, citing pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 More than two dozen Democrats are demanding that House Armed Services Committee leaders cut defense spending in the 2021 defense policy bill, saying the money would be better spent combating the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A May 19 letter, mostly from Congressional Progressive Caucus members<\/a>, marked a prelude to what could be complicated efforts to pass the National Defense Authorization Act in the Democrat-led House. The panel is expected in the coming weeks to introduce and mark up a draft, in line with the $740 billion top line set by the 2019 budget deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But 29 Democrats \u2015 led by House Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Rep. Barbara Lee, a senior appropriator and California progressive \u2015 said the defense spending should be lower than last year\u2019s $738 billion top line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Americans dying from COVID-19 by the thousands, tax dollars would be better spent on an expansion of testing, contact tracing, treatment and vaccine development, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCongress must remain focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic and distributing needed aid domestically,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cIn order to do so, appropriators must have access to increased levels of non-defense spending which could be constrained by any increase to defense spending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight now, the coronavirus is our greatest adversary. It has killed more than 90,000 Americans, far surpassing the number of casualties during the Vietnam War,\u201d the letter read. \u201cAmerica needs a coronavirus cure, not more war. We need more testing, not more bombs.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the loss of support from 29 House Democrats will factor into passage of the NDAA remains to be seen. In a note accompanying the letter, the organizers noted that if Republicans held back support \u2015 which they did last year \u2015 only 19 Democrats would need to vote \u201cno\u201d this year for the bill to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\t