$50 Billion for War Isn't Putting America First

$5B+

Spent in first 4 days of strikes

$50B

Estimated Pentagon supplemental request

U.S. soldiers killed so far

787+

Iranians killed including 168 children

Estimated cost since strikes began

$5,000,000,000

Based on $5B+ spent in first 4 days · Updates in real time

The Cost of a War of Choice

The equivalent of 60 million school lunches went down in flames over Kuwait

March 2, 2026

On March 2, Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. F-15 fighter jets in a friendly fire incident — the worst such loss in decades. All crew were safely accounted for, but $270 million in fighter jets fell from the sky in a single day. The F-15EX costs between $90–$100 million each. Here's what that $270 million could buy instead:

$270M

Three F-15s lost in a single day

60M

School lunches served to American kids

710K

Families receiving home heating assistance for a year

20K

Kids enrolled in Head Start early childhood education

On March 1, 2026, Donald Trump launched a deeply unpopular war with Iran. His strikes have already cost American taxpayers more than $5 billion in just four days, and now the Pentagon is working on a supplemental budget request of $50 billion to replace weapons being rapidly depleted — with a White House meeting with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon executives scheduled for Friday.

Trump and his Republican allies in Congress were all-too-eager to cut Medicaid, public schools, food assistance, and more to enrich themselves and their powerful friends. As Rep. Greg Casar put it: "While they kick 17 million Americans off their healthcare, Republicans want to spend billions on Trump's reckless war of choice. Hell no."

What $50 Billion could buy for Americans instead of bombs

SCHOOL NUTRITION

12.8 Billion

School Lunches — Fully Funded for Over Two Years

$50 billion would pay for 12.8 billion school lunches, fully funding the National School Lunch Program for more than two years. The three F-15s lost in one morning over Kuwait? That was 60 million lunches gone.

$270M in F-15s lost → 60M school lunches

FOOD ASSISTANCE

11 Million

Households Covered With Food Assistance for a Year

11 million households could receive a full year of food assistance — keeping families fed while the Iran war burns through this amount in days.

INFRASTRUCTURE

27,725

Aging Bridges Repaired Across the U.S.

America's infrastructure is crumbling while we spend billions blowing up someone else's. 27,725 aging bridges that millions of Americans drive across every day.

SENIOR CARE

434,000+

Seniors' Nursing Home Care Covered for a Year

At $114,975 per year, $50 billion would cover nursing home care for over 434,000 seniors — the people who built this country, now being abandoned by it.

While they kick 17 million Americans off their healthcare, Republicans want to spend billions on Trump's reckless war of choice. Hell no.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

HEALTH COVERAGE

22 Million

Americans' ACA Tax Credits Extended Over a Year

22 million Americans rely on ACA tax credits for affordable health insurance. Penn Wharton estimates the total war could cost $95 billion — enough to cover every one of them for years.

$95B Penn Wharton total war estimate

MEDICAID

~1 Year

Devastating Medicaid Cuts Restored From Trump's "Big, Ugly Bill"

$50 billion would restore nearly a full year of devastating Medicaid cuts threatening care for millions — cuts Republicans made to fund tax breaks for their wealthy donors.

HOME ENERGY

12 Years

LIHEAP Heating & Cooling Assistance Fully Funded

$50 billion would fund LIHEAP for 12 years — helping millions of Americans heat their homes in winter and cool them in summer. Gas prices are already spiking and 63% of voters are concerned about it.

63% of voters worried about gas prices

EARLY CHILDHOOD

4 Years

All of Head Start Funded — Early Education for Hundreds of Thousands

Four full years of Head Start — giving hundreds of thousands of children from low-income families the early education that changes their entire trajectory.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

~700,000

Teachers' Salaries Paid

Nearly 700,000 teachers could be paid — while Raytheon execs get invited to the White House to discuss ramping up production of missiles that cost more than a teacher earns in 30 years.

CLEAN WATER

Every Single One

Lead Pipe in America's Drinking Water Supply Replaced

Every lead pipe in the U.S. drinking water supply — replaced. No American child drinking water contaminated with a known neurotoxin. But we're buying fighter jets instead.

The Bill America's Paying

Operation Epic Fury — 2026

12.8B school lunches (2+ yrs)OR

Food assistance (11M households)OR

27,725 bridges repairedOR

434K seniors' nursing careOR

ACA credits (22M Americans)OR

Restore Medicaid cuts (~1 yr)OR

LIHEAP fully funded (12 yrs)OR

Head Start (4 yrs)OR

700K teachers' salariesOR

Every lead pipe replacedOR

Est. Pentagon Supplemental$50,000,000,000

PAID BY: American Taxpayers
SUPPORTED BY: 27% of Americans

We said "No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!" We said it on rally stage after rally stage. It's always a lie and it's always America Last.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Trump ally, March 1, 2026

What $50 Billion could buy for Americans instead of bombs

They want $50 billion for bombs. They couldn't find a dime for you.