Actual War Spending to Top $1 Trillion Today

by National Priorities Project

National Priorities Project’s Cost of War counter http://www.costofwar.com/, designed to count the total money appropriated for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, will reach the $1 trillion mark on May 30 at approximately 10:06 a.m. (regardless of time zone).

At nearly the same time that NPP’s Cost of War counter reaches $1 trillion in total war spending, Congress will have likely approved an additional estimated $37 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Initial projections of this spending will add $3 billion to Iraq war costs and $34 billion to Afghanistan war costs.  Consideration of the pending supplemental is likely to occur before Congress’ Memorial Day recess.

Once Congress approves this spending, NPP will update both its Cost of War amounts as well as the war-spending amounts found in our Trade Offs tool http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home.  If you should compare the amount displayed on the Cost of War counters with the numbers available in our Trade Offs tool and information sheets, please note that the Trade Offs tool and information sheets include all war spending approved to date, the same number that the counters will reach at the end of the 2010 fiscal year.  Φ

National Priorities Project (NPP) is a 501(c)(3) research organization that analyzes and clarifies federal data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars are spent. Located in Northampton, MA, since 1983, NPP focuses on the impact of federal spending and other policies at the national, state, congressional district and local levels. Find out more at http://www.nationalpriorities.org/.