Democrats Who Joined Republicans to Increase Military Budget Have Strong Defense Ties – The Intercept
Just two days after the U.S. ended its 20-year war in Afghanistan, more than a dozen Democrats with strong ties to the military establishment defied President Joe Biden and voted to add nearly $24 billion to the defense budget for fiscal year 2022.
On Wednesday,14 Democrats joined 28 Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee to adopt an amendment from Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., to the fiscal year 2022 defense authorization bill that would boost Bidens $715 billion spending proposal to $738.9 billion. The move follows the Senate Armed Services Committees vote to similarly raise the top line to more than $740 billion in its July markup of the bill.
The 14 House Democrats to support the defense spending were Reps. Jim Langevinof Rhode Island; Joe Courtneyof Connecticut; Jared Goldenof Maine; Elaine Luriaof Virginia;Mikie Sherrillof New Jersey; Stephanie Murphyof Florida; Anthony Brownof Maryland; Filemon Velaof Texas; Seth Moultonof Massachusetts; Salud Carbajalof California; Elissa Slotkinof Michigan; Kai Kaheleof Hawaii; Marc Veaseyof Texas; and Steven Horsfordof Nevada.
The decision by these lawmakers to approve the higher budget is not necessarily shocking in a political environmentin which the militarys leaders demand an annual budget growth of 3 to 5 percent above inflation. Bidens $715 billion proposal was a 1.5 percent nonadjusted increase above this years spending level.
One congressional staffer, who was not permitted to speak on the record, said in an email, many Dems, especially when serving [on the House Armed Services Committee] are reluctant to look soft on defense by opposing increases to the defense budget, so in some ways its surprising the majority of Dems still voted against the topline increase. (Seventeen Democrats voted against Rogerss amendment, not enough to prevent its inclusion in the bill.)
Many ofthe Democrats who voted for the $24 billion increase have close ties to the defense establishment. Their districts are home to job-promoting manufacturing sites and military bases, and much of the extra funding will go directly to projects at those locations. Many of the Democrats have also received generous campaign donations from contractors. In fact, Federal Election Commission data shows that in the first six months of this year, the 14 Democrats collectively received at least $135,000 from PACs representing the countrys top 10 defense vendors: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, L3Harris, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Leidos, Honeywell, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
A closer look reveals potentially strong incentives for those Democrats to support an increase in defense spending:
Meanwhile, some of the 14 Democrats who defied Biden to vote for greater defense spending have also tried to blow up their partys efforts to achieve the presidents domestic policy goalsmost notably, Medicare expansion, paid family leave, an extension of the child tax credit, and billions of dollars for clean energy and other climate initiatives. Golden and Vela joined New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer last month to insist that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hold an immediate vote on a $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill rather than wait to finish Democrats flagship $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. Murphy later joined that call, airing concerns about the size of the reconciliation bill. Their demands were ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite so many members of Congress voting to add money to the defense budgets, 17 Democrats still opposed Rogerss amendment, including committee chair Adam Smith of Washington, who received $32,000 in donations from the PACs of the top 10 defense contractors in the first half of this year the most of any Democrat on the panel.
Despite disagreeing with the increase, Smith and most of the others still voted to approve the overarching defense legislation and advance it to the floor anyway. (In fact, the 15 Democrats who voted against the higher budget but nevertheless passed the bill collectively received a few thousand dollars more in donations from the top 10 military contractors than the 14 who supported Rogerss amendment.) Only California Reps. Sara Jacobs and Ro Khanna who got no money from the vendors stood their ground and voted against the bills passage.
[A]fter twenty years of war in Afghanistan, twenty years of our servicemembers and their families answering the call, trillions of dollars in funding from the American people, I cant support another misguided effort to overflow the Pentagons budget beyond what our military leaders are even requesting, Jacobs said in a press release.
For Khanna, Wednesday was the first time he voted against moving the annual defense bill out of committee in five years; he argued that the $24 billion would be better spent on helping veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, resettling Afghan allies and refugees, or vaccinating people against Covid-19.
- Democratic Party of Arkansas chair announces he will step down effective July 15 - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Democrat who says he stands for underdogs will be one in quest to unseat Hal Rogers - Kentucky Lantern - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Rep. McCollum Joins Every Senate and House Democrat in Opposing the One Big Ugly Bill - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (.gov) - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Mayors Fourth of July celebration - River Valley Democrat-Gazette - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Democrat Jeffries Sets Record In Speech Delaying House Vote on Trump Bill - Yahoo Finance - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Lucas: Trump should demand the unconditional surrender of the Democrat Party - Boston Herald - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- There will be consequences for GOP in 2026 after passing Trump's bill, says House Democrat - NBC News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Appeals Court Lets Trump Remove Another Democrat From Independent Agency - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Democrat Warned To 'Avoid Vulgar Speak' After Ripping Trump-Backed Bill - Newsweek - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Democrat sets record with 8.5-hr speech before vote on Trump bill - Times of India - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Pennsylvania House Democrat on Fetterman: If you dont want to be here, leave - Politico - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Democrat Colin Allred announces he will run for U.S. Senate again - Houston Chronicle - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Democrat Colin Allred is running again for US Senate in Texas - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Dan Haar: CT's top Democrat on how the party outside of New York should respond to Zohran Mamdani - CT Insider - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Geoff Duncan weighs whether to run for Georgia governor - as a Democrat - AJC.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Democrat Rips Fettermans Beach Gripe: If You Dont Want to Be Here, Leave - Yahoo - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 2nd Democrat announces campaign to unseat GOP congressman - Grand Haven Tribune - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Democrat Colin Allred announces campaign for Cornyn's seat, O'Rourke testing the waters - fox4beaumont.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Longtime Pa. Democrat says he wont run for reelection to Congress - PennLive.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Democrat McMorrow to report $2M haul for Senate bid - The Oakland Press - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Pat Williams, Last Montana Democrat to Serve in the House, Dies at 87 - The New York Times - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Democrats fight to exercise their oversight duties - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Democrat Billie Butler wins special election to represent Somersworth and Rollinsford in NH House - New Hampshire Bulletin - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Democrat Wyden presses Bessent to commit to US sanctions on Russia - Reuters - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- House Democrat demands VA disclose any spyware, AI installed on agency computers as part of DOGE initiative - Stars and Stripes - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Zohrans Next Challenge: Another Disgraced (Former) Democrat - Mother Jones - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Trump wins over lifelong Democrat with 'big, beautiful bill' and more top headlines - Fox News - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Rep. Robert Garcia elected top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee - NBC News - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Rep. Robert Garcia elected top Democrat on Oversight panel, setting new path for partys opposition - Federal News Network - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Hear heated exchange between Pam Bondi and Democrat over possible foreign influence on Trump - CNN - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- 88-Year-Old House Democrat's Staff Walks Back Comments on Reelection Bid - Newsweek - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Top Democrat says Trump strikes on Iran a 'massive, massive gamble' - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- As a Seventy-Two-Year-Old Democrat, Am I Too Young to Run for Congress? - McSweeneys Internet Tendency - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Democrat AGs push to move OB-GYN tests out of Texas - Dallas News - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Robert Garcia earns key backing for top Democrat on House Oversight Committee - Washington Examiner - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Top House Intel Democrat warns 'we have no idea' yet whether U.S. strikes were successful - CNN - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Senior Democrat blasts Trump for not seeking congressional authorization for Iran strike - The Times of Israel - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- The Star Democrat's top 10 online stories this week - The Star Democrat - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Robert Garcia is a young Democrat with an old-style approach to moving up the House ladder - Politico - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Democrat Party reaches consensus to remain in government coalition - Nation Thailand - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Democrat Party affirms continued coalition participation, urges review of ties with Cambodia - Nation Thailand - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth says the GOPs Big Beautiful Bill will negatively affect the healthcare - 25 News Now - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Democrat Josh Weil Running for Senate in Bid to Unseat Ashley Moody - FlaglerLive - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Oklahoma Democrat Kalyn Free Pushed for New DNC Elections And She Wants a Seat at the Table - Oklahoma Watch - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- David Jolly, a Trump critic and former GOP congressman, to run for Florida governor as a Democrat - AP News - June 5th, 2025 [June 5th, 2025]
- Colorado's Jason Crow named ranking Democrat on bipartisan House cartel task force targeting fentanyl - ColoradoPolitics.com - June 5th, 2025 [June 5th, 2025]
- Democrat announces run against Ernst after her 'We're all going to die' comments - ABC News - June 5th, 2025 [June 5th, 2025]
- Some federal workers lost health coverage they had paid for. A Democrat wants answers - NPR - June 5th, 2025 [June 5th, 2025]
- Kentucky Senate Democrat switches parties to GOP in major blow to Dem Gov Andy Beshear - Fox News - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Long-time Kentucky Democrat switching parties - The Hill - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- No, were not doing that: Democrat voter rebukes centrists ahead of primary vote - CNN - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Hannah Pingree exemplifies Democrat rule in Augusta | Letter - The Portland Press Herald - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Meet Anthony Moor, the Greenwich Democrat looking to be the next first selectman - Greenwich Time - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- People know 'they're going to die': Democrat hits GOP senator over viral town hall exchange - USA Today - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Arkies in the Beltway | Week of June 1, 2025 - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Nayib Bukele Went All In on Trump. One Democrat Still Wants to Work With Him. - Politico - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Long-time Kentucky Democrat switching parties - FOX 56 News - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Do we have to play this game? - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Little Rocks high-end home sales for April 28-May 2: Six of the most expensive properties - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Lebanon Democrat finds her footing in Concord - Valley News - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- Democrat demands info on Trump plan to shift national parks to states - E&E News by POLITICO - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- House Democrat campaign chair says her party is 'on offense' in the 2026 midterms battle to win back majority from GOP - Fox News - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Maryland Democrat says he was denied access to Abrego Garcia in El Salvador - USA Today - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Meet the former Democrat leading Trumps charge against 10 universities - Politico - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Local democrat to host political Facebook live, What the Heck is Happening in Ohio - WKBN.com - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Neon Raspberry Art House in Occidental wants everyone to feel welcome - The Press Democrat - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Opinion | Poll: Trump Has Higher Approval Rating in New Jersey Than Democrat Governor - WSJ - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- House Democrat withdraws Trump impeachment bill that angered party leaders - ABC News - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Democrat Spanberger: No right-to-work repeal in Virginia, but maybe reform - The Washington Post - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Balancing Trump criticism and bipartisanship, Democrat Jon Ossoff walks a fine line in Georgia - WABE - May 10th, 2025 [May 10th, 2025]
- Democrat Jared Golden's only tariff fear: That Trump will back down - Axios - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Trump sued by Democrat he removed from US civil rights agency - Reuters - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Ohio Democrat introduces bill to prevent state money from going to sports teams with 'losing record' - Ohio Capital Journal - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Owners of popular Petaluma beer garden take over former Bear Republic taproom in Rohnert Park - The Press Democrat - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Kornacki: Wisconsin amendment suggests Democrat voters 'aren't with their leaders' on voter ID issue - NBC News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- House Democrat says he'd vote to protect Trump's tariff plan, worries White House will stand down - Fox News - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- President Trump has a new nickname for this Democrat, and its watermelon head - MassLive - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Whats the Future of the Democrat Party in North Dakota? - The Dakotan - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- This Democrat just nabbed a big progressive endorsement in the race for N.J. governor - NJ.com - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- Democrat Talking As Long as He's 'Physically Able' to Protest Trump - Newsweek - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]