(Daily360.com) Secretary Frank Kendall of the US Air Force was recently grilled in Congress about “exorbitant” spending by the military. Florida Representative Mike Waltz held up a bag of bushings as he asked Kendall how much he thinking the military spends for these small, but necessary accessories. Kendall said he didn’t know the answer.
Representative Waltz replied that the Air Force spends $90,000 on one bag of bushings. He said the average U.S. citizen can expect to pay about $100 for the same bag. Waltz provided more context by stating the military sources their tools and equipment directly from manufacturers. Doing so should allow a reduced cost for the goods rather than an inflated cost.
Waltz questioned why taxpayers are required to pay these large markups that are putting the country “out of business.” He also referred to the interest on the national debt as surpassing the entire defense budget. The national debt interest payments are expected to reach $870 billion in 2024 compared to $822 billion for the defense budget. Over 10 years, the expected cost for national interest debt is $37,100 per person.
A report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that military spending around the world has reached a record high of $2.4 trillion in 2023. It is the highest annual increase in military spending from year to year in over a decade. The research institute said the increase is directly related to a global “deterioration in peace and security.”
Social media users were dismayed with the revelation about $90,000 bushings and made comments against the excessive military spending. Some comments referred to the military industrial complex and others said this is typical government spending in action.
Representative Waltz has previously criticized the Biden administration’s control of the military regarding DEI initiatives and critical race theory. Waltz said that Biden’s decisions regarding the military have weakened the force and harmed its ability to be ready in the event of a major conflict.
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