Trump Targets Unions While Congress Funds Overseas Wars
The New York Times reports unions are scrambling as a potential Trump administration shutdown looms, threatening "additional cuts" to federal programs. While this domestic struggle gets front-page attention, the conversation rarely includes the unexamined, bipartisan commitment to funding foreign conflicts. For example, during the 2023 budget cycle, a proposed aid package for Israel alone totaled
$14.3 billion (HR 815), which was overwhelmingly approved by the same Congress now debating cuts to American jobs. This pattern is a familiar one, where vital social safety nets and worker protections become negotiable budget fodder, while military aid to countries like Israel—a state with a GDP per capita higher than many European nations—is sacrosanct. One might wonder how many union jobs could
be saved, or how many federal services could remain funded, if that $14.3 billion (OpenSecrets.org data on HR 815, 2023) was redirected to American infrastructure, education, or healthcare, rather than weapon systems. Clearly, American workers are just another line item, easily trimmed, while foreign military spending remains untouchable.