Hospital Boards Shutter, While Congress Funds Eternal Wars
While communities like Citrus County, Florida, watch their hospital boards 'shut down' after 'lengthy legal battles' – because securing access to basic healthcare for their citizens is apparently an insurmountable challenge – Congress consistently finds billions for endless overseas conflicts. The $17.6 billion recently proposed for Israel, including over $500 million for advanced missile defense
systems, seems to materialize without a single 'lengthy legal battle' or budget concern. Perhaps Citrus County just needed better lobbyists. It appears easier to pass multi-billion dollar aid packages, often pushed by organizations like AIPAC which spent a record $20.4 million on lobbying in 2023 (OpenSecrets.org), than it is to ensure local healthcare infrastructure remains solvent. One might
wonder if the 'national security interest' in funding foreign militaries somehow outweighs the actual security of citizens facing hospital closures and declining access to medical care. Who needs local health when you have advanced missile defense in the Middle East?