Bending the Arc

In an address to Sapienza University on May 14, 2026, Pope Leo said, “Over the past year, the increase in military spending worldwide…has been enormous: let us not call ‘defense’ a rearmament that increases tensions and insecurity, depletes investment in education and health, undermines trust in diplomacy, and enriches elites who care nothing for the common good.”

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) is coming before Congress beginning during the week of July 13. This bill sets a budget for military spending for one year, and the Administration is proposing that it increase by more than half, from just under a trillion in FY26 to over $1.5 trillion for the coming year. This spending comes at the same time as enormous cuts in spending on domestic human needs like health care, housing, food, and climate and outlandish increases in immigration enforcement. Call your Senators NOW and ask them to vote NO on the “National Defense Authorization Act” AND no Pentagon budget increases.
The bill includes a section to remove funding for Israel in the current form, which requires congressional oversight, and instead to merge technology and other capacities of the U.S. and Israeli militaries. There is also an effort to include the SAVE America Act that would strip voting rights from millions of Americans.

The good news is that this bill has stirred discussion and objection in Congress. The NDAA usually passes with strong bipartisan support, approving the annual Pentagon budget with all the president requested and more. There is room for advocacy to make a change, and every member of Congress needs to hear from their constituents. The Senate will likely be presented with this bill next week, on or soon after Monday, July 13th. If 41 senators vote against the bill, it will be unable to progress through the filibuster and send the message that these provisions are unacceptable; the bill would have to be thoroughly renegotiated. Every senator matters, and your message could make the difference.

Please tell Congress to spend on people, not the Pentagon! Sign this online letter: https://www.sistersofmercy.org/mercy-for-justice/action-alerts/ (edit as you see fit) or call your elected officials via the Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121; ask to be connected to your elected officials, and deliver the same message:

As your constituent and a person of faith, I urge you to vote against the request for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget. I urge you to oppose any increase to the Pentagon budget for 2027, to vote YES on any amendment to cut that budget, and if those amendments do not pass, to vote NO on the NDAA.

This dramatic and irresponsible increase comes at the cost of making our own people suffer. Already, over a trillion dollars has been cut from funds for basic needs like healthcare and food assistance, with more cuts proposed for housing, education, climate resilience, and energy. 

I also urge you to oppose every effort to include the SAVE America Act or similar restrictions of voting rights in the NDAA. We need to do better for our neighbors here in the U.S.

I also ask you to reject the section in the NDAA that calls for a closer partnership between the Pentagon and the Israeli military, removing traditional funding practices that require congressional oversight, particularly given Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Congress needs to stop giving a blank check for endless wars.  Please do all you can to oppose any increase in Pentagon funding and to work for cuts in the Pentagon budget. This money should be invested in meeting basic needs in our communities. I look forward to seeing you vote to the benefit of your constituents. I will take note of your decision as I plan my votes in the upcoming election.

To learn more about how the federal budget affects you, visit https://www.nationalpriorities.org/. The National Priorities Project fights for a federal budget that prioritizes peace, economic security and shared prosperity.