Respect for our veterans is not just waving our flag or saluting them. Tens of thousands of veterans are homeless, and health conditions resulting from their deployments are a major cause of their status. These include PTSD, depression, and limb loss, which send many down spirals of drug or substance abuse and hinder their ability to find employment. And with healthcare costs at all-time highs, a significant portion of veterans struggle to afford treatment or are even denied care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

But taking care of our veterans is too expensive on taxpayers, what is not? The Vietnam War cost $1 trillion, Korea around $700 billion, and the War on Terror and other Middle Eastern 21st century conflicts around $5.8 trillion, not including the most recent war with Iran. And the Pentagon’s budget has continued to increase throughout the past decade, with President Trump proposing an increase to over $1.5 trillion in 2027. With a national debt of $39 trillion, now is not the time to engage in any more costly and unnecessary wars that will only add to the massive costs of existing veterans’ benefits.