Canadian military budget

Senate Approves $895 Billion Military Budget Amid Social Needs Concerns

The Senate overwhelmingly approved the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025, despite significant criticism. The bill includes controversial provisions banning gender-affirming care for children of service members and prohibiting the Pentagon from citing Gaza casualty figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health. Opponents decried the bill’s high cost and argued that these provisions prioritize political agendas over the well-being of service members and their families. Advocates are urging President Biden to veto the NDAA, which they contend is the first federal legislation restricting access to medically necessary healthcare for transgender adolescents.

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Trump Allies Pressure Canada to Increase NATO Defense Spending

Trump allies, and many Canadians themselves, are expressing growing impatience with Canada’s persistent failure to meet its NATO commitment on defense spending. Canada remains one of only eight NATO members not reaching the agreed-upon benchmark of 2% of GDP allocated to defense, currently hovering around 1.37%. This is especially striking considering Canada possesses the sixth-largest GDP among NATO allies yet ranks 27th in defense spending as a proportion of its GDP.

The discrepancy between Canada’s economic capacity and its defense expenditure is seen as particularly egregious by some. Comparisons are made to other nations facing far more challenging economic circumstances, yet still managing to meet the 2% target.… Continue reading