House progressives move to slash defense budget by $100 billion

House Democrats on Wednesday introduced a bill to cut the Department of Defense's budget by $100 billion amid an ongoing battle over raising the nation's debt ceiling.

Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee, Calif., and Mark Pocan, Wis., this week reintroduced the "People Over Pentagon Act" to slash the defense budget. The Pentagon's total budget currently stands at $817 billion for 2023 due to the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act.

"More defense spending does not guarantee safety, but it does guarantee that the military-industrial complex will continue to get richer," Pocan said of the bill. Lee contended in a press release that funds sent to the Pentagon are often "mismanaged" and added that "just $100 billion could do so much good," before pointing to alternative projects that might benefit from the money.

"Year after year, this country pours billions into our already-astronomical defense budget without stopping to question whether the additional funding is actually making us safer," Lee said.

The proposal from the House progressives is unlikely to secure passage as Republicans currently control the lower chamber. The bill, however, comes amid an ongoing dispute between the major parties over raising the debt ceiling.

Whereas Democrats have advocated for a clean increase to the nation's spending limit, Republicans have sought to match any increase in the total limit with spending cuts or other measures to address the growing national debt. They have, however, expressed aversion to cutting defense funds.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.