Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that if he becomes president of the United States, he would take money away from funding the “military-industrial complex” and use it where it would better be spent, including for what he argues is manmade climate change.
“Fundamentally, why I am running for president is to get our priorities right,” Bernie said in an interview with VOX. “Our priorities are that we rebuild our infrastructure, that our kids have the ability to go to college regardless of income, that we address the crisis in affordable housing, and all the other crises — climate change, we have to deal with that, and it will take a lot of money.”
“And we do not have to simply allow large defense contractors to become even wealthier,” said Sanders, who in recent years has become a millionaire, according to his tax returns.
“We will present a thoughtful budget that meets the defense needs of this country without just simply supplying billions of dollars of unnecessary money to the military-industrial complex,” Sanders said.
Vox pointed out in its interview that when Congress passed a $716 billion defense budget last year, Sanders voted against it along with nine other Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Another Democrat candidate, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) voted for the defense budget.
“Both Democrats and Republicans have billed the boost in defense funding as a push to rebuild the military,” Vox reported, noting that military spending shrank under President Barack Obama.
Sanders also slammed President Donald Trump for increasing military spending.
“I think you have a president right now who is a huge cheerleader for the military-industrial complex,” Sanders said.
“As president, I would certainly look at a very different military budget,” Sanders said.
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