“Trickle-Down Defense: The Real Cost of the Defense Bill on our Troops

As a constituent and as someone deeply committed to the well-being of those who serve, I am writing to express serious concern over your recent statements celebrating the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act and its associated reconciliation package, the so-called "One Budget for a Better Border" (OBBB). You have characterized this legislation as a historic investment in our service members. But the reality—borne out by data and lived experience—tells a different story. While the bill does include a 3.8% pay raise, it also strips away crucial supports that working-class troops and their families rely on: access to Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, affordable childcare, mental health care, and base-level family services. These cuts hit junior enlisted members the hardest, many of whom already live near or below the poverty line. Your legislation, when combined with the broader Trump policy agenda it supports, redistributes resources upward—benefiting senior officers, military contractors, and private-sector defense firms while burdening the people who do the hard work of defending this country every day. The numbers are clear: • Low-income service members will see a net loss of $770 per year under your bill, and up to $3,850 over five years. • Those most impacted are families with children, single parents, and those relying on essential services you helped eliminate. • Meanwhile, upper-income officers walk away with thousands in net gains. This is not what “supporting the troops” looks like. I urge you to stop misrepresenting this bill as a win for all service members. It is not. It is a betrayal of the lower-income Americans who put their lives on the line for this country and return home to find food assistance slashed, healthcare harder to access, and financial stability further out of reach. You were elected to represent all of Iowa’s constituents—including our junior enlisted, Guard families, reservists, and veterans who depend on these vital supports. I am calling on you to: • Acknowledge the true, uneven impact of the FY26 bill and reconciliation package; • Introduce corrective legislation to restore lost benefits and funding for military families; • Commit to policy that lifts all those who serve—not just those with high rank or defense contracts. Service deserves more than slogans. It demands action. I hope you will rise to that responsibility.