Mike Johnson Pushes $350 Billion Pentagon Boost as He Casts It as Fight Against Communism
Updated
Updated · Common Dreams · Jul 15
Mike Johnson Pushes $350 Billion Pentagon Boost as He Casts It as Fight Against Communism
3 articles · Updated · Common Dreams · Jul 15
Summary
$350 billion in additional Pentagon spending is being pressed by House Speaker Mike Johnson through a GOP reconciliation bill, with Johnson saying the money is needed for "fighting communism on our own shores."
Johnson tied the request to Donald Trump's call to effectively double defense funding, even though the House Appropriations Committee already approved a record $1.1 trillion military spending bill last month.
Some Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell, have resisted the extra spending, but reconciliation would let the package pass without Democratic votes.
Johnson's remarks echo Trump's escalating attacks on democratic socialists and other political opponents; Reuters found Trump invoked "communism" at least 81 times in the two weeks after June 23 primaries.
The rhetoric has drawn added scrutiny because Trump has threatened to use the military against an "enemy within," despite legal limits on federal troops in domestic law enforcement.