Raytheon is Building More Missiles
While Families Go Hungry
Win Without War
(May 15, 2022) — Weapons lobbyists are openly using Russia’s war to get billions and billions more of our tax dollars to boost their record profits even higher. And it appears to be working.
Anxious families across the country are struggling to feed their children in the face of a baby formula shortage, and the prices of everything from clothing to gas has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, congressional hawks have approved $3.65 BILLION so weapons manufacturers can build their drones and missiles without fear of budgetary constraints — and nearly DOUBLE their profits in the process.
Let’s break that down: The government is asking people across the country to make tough choices and to step up as the weapons industry plots a cushy subsidy. We want money to support people impacted by this devastating conflict, but it shouldn’t be a cash grab by weapons manufacturers.
And it won’t be, at least if we have anything to say about it. Few organizations are up to challenging the enormous influence of mega weapons corporations and their lobbyists, but it’s EXACTLY what Win Without War is built to do. We refuse to let 2022 be yet another year where Raytheon can build more missiles while families go hungry.
If the Senate signs off on the House-passed bill, the United States will have authorized a whopping $54 BILLION to Ukraine so far this year. That looks like:
- Well over TWICE the largest yearly amount ever provided to Afghanistan (where the United States was actively at war);
- Nearly EQUAL to the combined annual State Department and USAID budgets;
- MORE than the total amount the Biden administration has committed to address climate change.
It’s a huge sum. And we can be honest that this package does critically needed things that an anti-war organization like Win Without War has worked for and can get behind. The bill contains billions in funding for food security, humanitarian relief, refugee support, and directives to multiple Inspectors General to ensure proper oversight and accountability over where all this money goes.
What we won’t cosign are the weapons payouts — and as the war continues and US assistance increases, weapons contractors are set to get paid. In fact, our tax dollars already keep this industry afloat: In 2020, Lockheed got 74% of its revenue from US government contracts, Raytheon 46%, General Dynamics 68%, Boeing 37.5%, and Northrop Grumman 84%.
Here’s the silver lining: That makes every US taxpayer an involuntary stakeholder in these companies — that means we have power. And we’re getting better at flexing it: Together, we blocked outrageous proposals to sneak weapons and war funding in the COVID stimulus bill and the Build Back Better agenda. This year, we’ve fought tooth and nail for the debt relief and humanitarian aid that can support the people of Ukraine to build true human security.
Every time we win like this — big and small — we’re cutting into weapons and war industry profits and pushing the United States closer toward peace. We’re determined to keep building that momentum, but if we know anything, we know that weapons makers aren’t going to sit by while we change the world for the better.
That’s why we need to build our power right now — if we can strengthen our movement for peace today, we’ll be better positioned to win again in the future.
Let’s stop throwing money at weapons and war, and spend more to improve people’s lives.
Faith, Sara, Amisha, and the Win Without War team
