If we hadn’t invaded Iraq, which had nothing to do 9/11, we’d have saved $4–5 trillion*, enough to fund the entire Social Security program for two years. (And we wouldn’t have killed ~1 million innocent civilians.) *adjusted for inflation
#IraqWar #WarCosts #SocialSecurity #USPolitics #howareyougoingtopayforthat
As of the end of March 2026, the U.S. has spent ~$25 billion* in the Iran war. For this amount we could dramatically expand community-based veterans’ healthcare access. • Issue ≈1.5M community care vouchers — $12B • Build ≈150 outpatient clinics — $6B • Staff and fund mental health/substance use disorder programs for 3 years — $3B • Deliver ≈10–15M rural rides + ≈4–6M telehealth visits (3 yrs) — $2B • Modernize VA IT + scheduling — $1B • Fund care coordination/admin (claims processing, audits) for 3 years — $1B Source: Center for American Progress
#howareyougoingtopayforthat #veteransaffairs #va #healthcare
The Pentagon estimates spending $800m–$1B daily ongoing in Iran. On average, that’s enough to build 5–7 new hospitals. Per day.
#howareyougoingtopayforthat #iran #war #hospitals #healthcare
The U.S. ranks 48th globally in life expectancy. That’s last among major industrialized nations.
Federal, state, and local lobbying exceeded $15 billion in 2024. This would fund disability payments for as many as 900,000 veterans for a year.
The U.S. spends about twice as much on healthcare per person as other wealthy nations, but has: • lower life expectancy • higher infant mortality • higher maternal mortality • more chronic disease It also leads peer countries in preventable deaths.
The U.S. typically ranks between 30th and 60th globally on health—and near the bottom among wealthy nations. (Sources: Bloomberg Global Health Index, Legatum Prosperity Health Pillar, World Health Organization)
The war in Iran is costing taxpayers approximately $1.43 billion per day. If it lasts a year, we will spend enough to provide health insurance for 58 million Americans. #NUMBERS (Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies)
If you cut the military budget by $500 billion, you’d have an extra $10,000/year to spend on programs, equipment, facilities, resources, and meals for each public school student in the United States. And you’d still have the largest military in the world. By a large margin. #NUMBERS
#howareyougoingtopayforthat #military #school #teachersareheroes
Google has pledged $50 million over five years to combat climate super- pollutants. This comes to ~3 hours of the company’s 2025 profit.#NUMBERS
If we imposed a 2% wealth tax on billionaires, we could triple the number of Small Business Administration loans each year.
Imagine you and your 10 best friends were born the same year as Jesus. And somehow you’re all still around. Every day of your lives you each made $100,000. Today, the 11 of you combined have significantly less money than Elon Musk. #howareyougoingtopayforthat
INFO CARD: Beginning with Ronald Reagan, and adjusting for inflation, how much money do you think has been lost to the United States in tax cuts for the wealthy? Methodologies vary, but the best estimate is $15-22 trillion. Keep this in mind the next time you propose feeding children or paying teachers or universal healthcare and somebody asks “how are you going to pay for that?” #NUMBERS Sources include the CBO, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Tax Foundation, and the Penn Wharton Budget Model. #howareyougoingtopayforthat tinyurl.com/haygtpft
