Foreign Policy and Defense

Military spending

123 public statements from 2026 candidates · 8 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: It pays for troops, ships, planes and bases, and it is one of the biggest choices in how the government spends taxpayers' money.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

How much the US spends each year on its armed forces and weapons.

  1. Increase military spending
  2. Hold it near current levels, adjusted for inflation
  3. Cut military spending

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Increase military spending (3)

  • Robert B. Aderholt AL-4
    His campaign website says he voted to add $25 billion to the defense budget and is advocating for significant increases in coming years.1
  • Pete Ricketts NE Senate
    His campaign website says he voted for $150 billion to strengthen national security, and that he also voted for funding for Offutt Air Force Base, the Sentinel ICBM program and the Golden Dome missile defense system.2
  • Mike Flood NE-1
    His campaign website says he voted to put $150 billion toward strengthening the military and deterring China.3

Cut military spending (31)

  • Steve G. Parsons AR-1
    His campaign website says current levels of U.S. military spending and overseas commitments cannot continue and that the U.S. should stop acting as the world's police.4
  • Connie Chan CA-11
    Her campaign website says the United States should pay for expanded aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by shifting money from the defense budget.5
  • Lateefah Simon CA-12
    Her campaign website says she would work to cut defense spending and redirect the money to health care, education and housing.6
  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website says he would cut the Pentagon budget, saving $1 trillion over 10 years by ending weapons programs such as Golden Dome and Sentinel, stopping F-35 cost overruns, reducing bureaucracy and cutting excess bases abroad.7
  • Angélica María Dueñas CA-29
    Her campaign website calls for cutting the military budget by 50 percent and for audits of military spending.8
  • Angela Gonzales-Torres CA-34
    Her campaign website says she would end what it calls blank checks for war and weapons and redirect that money to housing, health care, education and jobs at home.9,10
  • Clifton Brown CO-3
    His campaign website calls for cutting military spending, ending all foreign wars and closing all foreign military bases.11,12
  • Benjamin Wesley CT-4
    His campaign website says the country does not need a defense budget of more than $1 trillion a year or more than 800 bases worldwide, and calls for returning military savings to the public through lower taxes or investments such as Medicare for All.13
  • Todd Schaefer FL-4
    His campaign website calls for reducing defense spending through audits, base reductions and moving money to domestic needs.14,15
  • Robert People FL-15
    His affordability plan lists cutting war and Defense Department spending and says he would fight against spending taxpayer funds on forever wars, vanity projects and missions with no measurable objectives.16
  • Dave Bushaw IA-2
    His platform page says he will critically evaluate current military budgets, demand transparency in spending, and work to cut the military budget so that it prioritizes domestic defense.17
  • Delia Ramirez IL-3
    Her campaign website says she co-sponsored the People Over Pentagon Act of 2023, which would reduce the Pentagon's budget by $100 billion to fund domestic social programs, and that she voted no on the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.18
  • Daniel Biss IL-9
    His campaign website says he will work to shift resources from the Pentagon budget to diplomatic efforts, humanitarian aid and global development, and to fight back against large military spending.19
  • Drew Cox IN-4
    His campaign website says he will fight to redirect significant portions of the military budget to social services, infrastructure and repaying the national debt.20
  • Christopher Campbell KY Senate
    His campaign website says he would push for a major cut in the military budget, aiming for defense spending close to 1% of GDP, including a moratorium on all military aid to foreign governments and consolidating the hundreds of U.S.-funded military bases around the world.21
  • Joe Tache MA Senate
    His campaign website says he would cut the military budget by 90% and close all of the more than 800 U.S. military bases abroad.22
  • Sam Husseini MD-4
    His campaign website lists stopping the $1.5 trillion military budget among its platform points, and says the proposed $1.5 trillion military budget should be greatly scaled down.23
  • Moshe Y. Landman MD-6
    His campaign website says the defense budget must be reduced to half of its current size or less, and lists drawing it down to $500 billion a year by 2030 among its proposals.24,25
  • Jim Bronke MI-5
    His campaign website says military spending should be the biggest target in the national budget, that the country should have fewer bases around the world and work more closely with allies, and that it can spend more on drones because they cost much less than conventional aircraft.26
  • Rashida Tlaib MI-12
    Her campaign website says she consistently votes no on the annual National Defense Authorization Act and wants to shift money away from the military and into communities that are struggling to get by.27
  • Ilhan Omar MN-5
    Her campaign website's foreign policy page says she wants to reduce total military spending and put that money into health care, education, housing, jobs, clean energy and infrastructure.28
  • Brian J Miller MT-2
    His campaign website says he wants to cut wasteful military spending and bring the military budget down rather than up.29,30
  • Michael Dublin NC Senate
    His platform supports sharply cutting the U.S. military budget and redirecting the money to health care, public education and affordable housing.31,32
  • Maad Abu-Ghazalah NC-7
    His campaign website's Platform page says he would reduce the military budget sharply, to a level suited to a country that is not at war, noting that the latest budget proposal sets aside $1.5 trillion for the military.33
  • Nik Sandman NE-1
    His campaign website says he would cut defense spending.34
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    The page says the GRADS Act would be paid for by reducing military budgets through cutting spending it describes as fraudulent, raising taxes on wealthy people, and collecting more tax revenue from better-paid careers without raising tax rates.35
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website says he supports significantly cutting the Pentagon budget and shifting spending toward priorities such as health care.36
  • Andres Jinete NJ-12
    His campaign website calls for cutting the military budget by two-thirds and progressively closing more than 700 overseas bases, using the savings for social programs.37
  • Greg Levy OH Senate special
    His campaign website calls for cutting the Pentagon budget by 90% and closing U.S. military bases abroad.38
  • Chris Henry OR Senate
    His voters' pamphlet statement calls for cutting U.S. military spending and ending what it calls pointless wars, and his platform supports closing overseas bases that no longer serve a security purpose.39,40
  • Andrew Gerena TN Senate
    His campaign website calls for redirecting federal money from what it calls the war budget to education, infrastructure, research and job training.41

Statements that don't match one option (89)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website calls for a full audit of the Defense Department budget and caps on defense contractors' profits, with the savings going to rural health care, broadband and school meals.42
  • Gary Palmer AL-6
    His campaign website says he supports a strong, well-funded military and backed the National Defense Authorization Act.43
  • Jeff Wadlin AR Senate
    His campaign website says military strength is not measured by spending, and calls for fewer unnecessary overseas bases and more capability for each defense dollar.44
  • Eric Jones CA-4
    His campaign website says the Pentagon's budget growth should be frozen until it passes an audit, and calls for ending U.S. funding of unnecessary foreign wars.45,46
  • Mike Thompson CA-4
    His campaign website says defense spending should be on the table when reviewing the budget, and that the strongest national defense does not have to be the most expensive.47
  • Tom McClintock CA-5
    His campaign website says the military should have the latest technology, the best equipment and enough trained personnel to defend the nation, but that the country should not spend more on defense than it requires.48
  • Aisha Wahab CA-14
    Her campaign website says military spending should get the same scrutiny as the rest of the federal budget and that money spent on endless wars should go to needs at home.49,50
  • Jay Obernolte CA-23
    His campaign website says he voted to fully fund the military and to give troops a pay raise.51
  • April A. Verlato CA-28
    Her campaign website says she supports strengthening America's military.52
  • Ken Calvert CA-40
    His campaign website says he wrote the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Act, which it says included a 5.2 percent pay raise for troops and record funding for the National Guard's counter-drug programs.53
  • Brian Burley CA-42
    A platform document on his campaign website says he will always vote to maintain and support the military budget.54
  • Armen Kurdian CA-49
    His campaign website says he would fully fund national defense.55
  • Christopher Mitchell CO-5
    His campaign website says he would work to adequately fund the Defense Department to address threats from China, Russia and Iran.56
  • Michael "Dr. Mike" Katz DE Senate
    His campaign website says he would fully fund military readiness and invest in modernizing the armed forces, next-generation defense technology, cybersecurity and missile defense.57
  • Jimmy Patronis FL-1
    His campaign website lists investing in the military among his priorities in Congress.58
  • Austin Rogers FL-2
    His campaign website says he will work to make sure members of the armed forces receive the funding, equipment and support they need.59
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform says the Pentagon should pass a financial audit before the next dollar is approved, and calls for shifting overseas conflict spending, not base operations or military pay, to infrastructure at home.60,61
  • John H. Rutherford FL-5
    His campaign website says he supports increasing troop pay and giving the military more resources.62
  • Ryan Elijah FL-7
    His campaign website says the U.S. military must remain the strongest and best-equipped fighting force in the world, backed by the most advanced technology.63
  • Mike Haridopolos FL-8
    His campaign website says the military must be backed with the best technology available to ensure a strong national defense.64
  • Dan Green FL-9
    His campaign website says he will work with President Trump to make sure the military remains funded and fit for action.65
  • Darren Soto FL-9
    His campaign website says he has steadily voted for the National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Department funding, including higher pay and better equipment, housing and health care for service members.66
  • Joe Strada FL-11
    His campaign website calls for rebuilding military strength to deter enemies and support allies.67
  • Ralph Groves FL-11
    His campaign website says U.S. defense industries should receive more funding to restock military equipment provided to Ukraine.68
  • Mark Davis FL-16
    His policy platform calls for redirecting money from military spending it calls unnecessary to veterans.69
  • James "Jim" Kingston GA-1
    His campaign website says he supports rebuilding the military for readiness and technological superiority, including investing in troops and strengthening Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.70
  • Matt Day GA-2
    His campaign website says America must always have the strongest military while also searching for peace.71
  • Jim Duffie GA-4
    His campaign website says America must maintain a strong military, protect its citizens, secure its borders and support veterans.72
  • Kevin E. Martin GA-6
    His campaign website says the defense debate should start with an inventory and a written readiness benchmark rather than a spending number, with funding to return to the benchmark if supplies fall below it and with defense audited like every other budget line.73
  • Rich McCormick GA-7
    His campaign website says he supports servicemembers, strong allies and responsible investments in the capabilities needed to defend American interests abroad, and lists among his bills the ROTOR Act to strengthen military readiness.74
  • Austin Scott GA-8
    His official House website says it is important to have the best equipped and trained military in the world.75
  • Houston Gaines GA-10
    His campaign website says the country must continue to rebuild its military and that peace comes through strength.76
  • Zach Nunn IA-3
    His campaign website says he supported policies that adequately fund the military while prioritizing veterans, active military, military families and mental health.77
  • Chris McGowan IA-4
    His campaign website says he is committed to ensuring members of the military have the training, resources and equipment they need to defend freedom.78
  • Patty Garcia IL-4
    Her campaign website says she favors re-channeling funds into domestic areas such as health care, education and infrastructure, and an end to all wars and occupation.79
  • Mike Quigley IL-5
    His campaign website says the Department of Defense is too often exempted from spending reductions and should be subject to targeted budget cuts, and describes him as a leading voice for smarter defense spending.80,81
  • Mike Bost IL-12
    His campaign website says he is a strong supporter of a robust defense budget and wants to ensure the military is the best-trained and most advanced in the world.82
  • Darin LaHood IL-16
    His campaign website says he voted to fully fund the military.83
  • Whitfield Harrington Jr IL Senate
    His campaign website says he would redirect 20% of the defense budget, on a two-year cycle, toward US bases and military housing, roads, bridges, rail, the power grid and strategic stockpiles.84
  • Jefferson Shreve IN-6
    His campaign website says America must field the world's strongest military, that he backed one of the largest military pay raises in recent memory, and that he is committed to maintaining readiness and caring for veterans.85
  • Mary Allen IN-8
    Her campaign website says the U.S. spends more on the military than the next nine highest-spending countries combined, and that she will work to address runaway military spending that it says enriches private defense contractors.86
  • Eric Jenkins KS-3
    His campaign website says he would fully fund and modernize the U.S. military to deter adversaries.87
  • Ron Estes KS-4
    His campaign website says he worked to secure more tankers for McConnell Air Force Base and supported pay raises for troops.88
  • Ed Gallrein KY-4
    His campaign website says he will work to rebuild the military to support national security.89
  • Jeremy Todd KY-4
    His campaign website says the U.S. should keep a strong military capable of defending the country while ending unnecessary foreign wars, reducing empire-building abroad and bringing the troops home, and says the military costs well over $1 trillion a year.90,91
  • Jay J Bowman KY-6
    His campaign website says the U.S. should evaluate current defense spending, prioritize essential programs, modernize equipment, reduce waste and work with allies to keep a strong national defense while minimizing unnecessary costs.92
  • "Matt" Gromlich LA-4
    His campaign website says enormous military contractor budgets should be ended and the money used to support service members and their families.93
  • "Mike" Johnson LA-4
    His official House website's Peace through Strength page says the United States must remain the strongest military power on earth and that adequate investment is necessary to maintain its air, land, sea, nuclear and cyber warfare capabilities.94
  • "Mike" Nichols LA-4
    His campaign flyer lists a strong and powerful military, including Fort Polk and Barksdale Air Force Base, among the things he supports.95
  • Michael Echols LA-5
    His campaign website says he supports rebuilding the military and making sure troops have the resources they need to succeed.96
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page says military spending should focus on readiness rather than ideological programs.97
  • Jake Auchincloss MA-4
    His campaign website says that in 2021 he was the only Democratic veteran in the House to vote against the Pentagon's unaccountable spending.98
  • Andy Harris MD-1
    His official House website says strengthening the military and intelligence communities is key to national safety and that, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, he believes Congress must provide the military with all the tools it needs.99
  • Adrian Boafo MD-5
    His campaign website says the nine federal and military installations in the 5th District should be fully funded so they keep supporting jobs, national security and growth.100
  • Chris Chaffee MD-5
    His campaign website says that putting America first includes funding for the Department of Defense and keeping military bases funded.101
  • Jack Bergman MI-1
    His campaign website says he believes the military must be strong enough to deter adversaries, and it lists among his accomplishments helping pass annual defense authorization bills, including the fiscal 2026 law, which it says included a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers, military housing investments and modernization of military capabilities. It also says he supports cutting waste and bureaucracy at the Pentagon.102
  • John Moolenaar MI-2
    His campaign website says the armed forces must be given the resources they need to meet emerging threats, and that he is committed to strengthening and modernizing the military and equipping servicemembers. His home page lists rebuilding the military among his commitments.103,104
  • Charlotte Magoon MI-2
    Her campaign website says U.S. military spending exceeds that of the next ten countries put together while veterans sleep on the street and rural Michigan communities lack mental health services. It says she supports a strong national defense but wants the money to go to diplomacy, international cooperation and veterans' well-being rather than to continuing conflicts.105
  • Heather Smiley MI-6
    Her campaign website says the military should restore and build up its arsenal and concentrate on lethality and on defending the country from enemies abroad and at home.106,107
  • William Lawrence MI-7
    His campaign website says the country spends about a trillion dollars a year on the military and war while needs at home go unmet, and says stopping spending on wars would help pay for housing, health care, Social Security, child care and education.108
  • C. Mia Pettus MI-8
    Her campaign website lists responsible defense spending and procurement oversight among its priorities for veterans and the military.109
  • Donavan McKinney MI-13
    His campaign website says he will oppose open-ended, unconditional funding for weapons and bombs, and that the money could instead go to needs at home such as infrastructure, housing, and jobs and health care for veterans.110
  • Chris Dardzinski MI-13
    His campaign website says the Department of Defense could do what it does now for $100 billion less per year, citing former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and calls for forensic review of defense contracts; its '5 by 5’ proposal also calls for increasing the number of Ford-class aircraft carriers from 10 to 15.111
  • Betty McCollum MN-4
    Her campaign website says that as ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee she backs defense spending that is responsible and accountable and aimed at deterring adversaries and supporting allies and service members.112
  • DeVelle L. Jackson MN-5
    It also says Congress should make healthcare a budget priority by redirecting money from contracts, wars, immigration enforcement and foreign security spending that it calls wasteful, unnecessary or excessive.113
  • Tom Emmer MN-6
    Its security section says he supports President Trump's peace through strength policies and has consistently voted to restore military strength and give troops the resources they need.114
  • Tom Schmitz MO-1
    His campaign website says military spending is out of control and criticizes spending over $1 trillion on national defense. Its home page says Libertarians want all troops brought home and an efficient, defensive military stationed in the United States.115,116
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website says the country does not need a bigger military but a smarter one, and lists eliminating wasteful defense spending and duplicative programs along with targeted modernization.117
  • Josh Smead MO-6
    His campaign website lists keeping defense funding targeted to priority needs.118
  • Missi Hesketh MO-7
    Her Accountability page says she would demand a full, independent audit of the Pentagon and apply what it finds to remove waste, moving the savings toward veterans, infrastructure and working families.119
  • Bennie Foster MS-2
    His campaign website says the country must maintain a strong defense through its military and focus defense funding and resources on its immediate safety and interests.120
  • Mike Ezell MS-4
    His campaign website says he will oppose attempts to cut the defense budget.121
  • Laurie Buckhout NC-1
    Her campaign Issues page says she is committed to investing in the nation's military so the U.S. can protect itself from countries such as China, Iran and Russia and defend allies such as Israel.122
  • Greg Murphy NC-3
    His campaign troops page says the armed forces need enough resources to deter enemies, and lists federal money for construction on bases and pay raises for troops among his accomplishments.123
  • Virginia Foxx NC-5
    Her campaign website says she supports President Trump's efforts to rebuild and strengthen the military and that she has consistently supported the National Defense Authorization Act.124
  • David Rouzer NC-7
    His campaign website's issues page says the United States should keep a cutting-edge military, strengthen its intelligence agencies, and keep investing in research and development so troops have the technology to protect themselves and the country.125
  • Richard Hudson NC-9
    His campaign website's Military & Soldiers page says he has helped rebuild the military, won pay raises for troops, with a focus on those in hazardous combat zones, and fought for more funding for troop training.126
  • Steven Feldman NC-10
    His campaign website says the military should defend the country's borders rather than tell others how to live, which it says would keep defense strong while reducing the cost of government, with some of the savings going to the Peace Corps.127,128
  • Pat Harrigan NC-10
    His campaign website says the country should reinvest in its military and make sure soldiers have what they need to do their work.129
  • David J. Else NE-3
    His campaign website says he will fight against what it calls endless spending on war and on foreign countries.130
  • Zack Mullock NJ-2
    The same section says he wants defense spending to focus on strategic security needs rather than long-running wars.131
  • Michael P. McGuire NJ-3
    His campaign website says a strong national defense requires paying for military readiness, training and modernization, so that troops are properly equipped and supported.132
  • Ryan Michael Kelly NJ-3
    His campaign website lists redirecting unnecessary military spending toward health care, housing, education and infrastructure, and stronger congressional oversight of defense spending, among his priorities.133
  • Rachel Peace NJ-4
    Her campaign website says service members should be brought home from the war in Iran and that the country should commit to spending money previously sent to the Pentagon on needs at home.134
  • Winston Jordan NJ-12
    His policy platform website lists an independent audit of the Pentagon, limits on what defense contractors charge and redirecting the savings to other investments.135
  • Afzal "Bobby" Khan NV-1
    His campaign website says he supports rebuilding the military and making sure it is properly funded and focused on its core mission.136,137
  • David Flippo NV-2
    His campaign website says he would fully fund and modernize the military.138
  • Michael Anthony Bahry RI Senate
    His campaign website says war and military spending are not a sustainable jobs program and that ending wars would free money for infrastructure, innovation and education.139
  • Kasie Whitener SC Senate
    Her campaign blog says much military spending goes to outdated weapons that do nothing for readiness and that the Defense Department should work within its budget.140,141

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.