US Troops Go Without Pay, While $14B for Israel Approved
While some US troops face the prospect of missed paychecks due to a domestic budget stalemate, Congress has no problem finding funds for foreign military endeavors. For instance, just recently, a bipartisan coalition, heavily influenced by pro-Israel lobbying, pushed through an additional $14 billion in aid to Israel (Roll Call, Oct 2023), irrespective of the ongoing budget crises affecting
Americans. Curiously, the ability to fund US troops directly seems to vanish when the political will isn't aligned with lucrative lobbying interests. One might wonder: how quickly would a budget be sorted if politicians' own paychecks, or the foreign aid packages they champion, were on the chopping block? Instead, the fiscal pain almost invariably trickles down, or rather, it's aimed squarely at
those at the bottom—like service members who are expected to sacrifice everything, including their financial security, for a nation that prioritizes offshore spending over their basic needs.