{"id":49221,"date":"2026-07-16T12:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T19:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=49221"},"modified":"2026-07-16T12:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T19:56:37","slug":"johnson-says-pentagon-needs-more-money-for-fighting-communism-on-our-own-shores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/johnson-says-pentagon-needs-more-money-for-fighting-communism-on-our-own-shores\/","title":{"rendered":"Johnson says Pentagon needs more money for \u2018fighting communism on our own shores\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Speaker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Posted in Politics and Movements: US<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has threatened to deploy the military against the \u201cenemy within\u201d and has recently promoted the idea that \u201cdemocratic socialism must be criminalized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Stephen Prager<\/a><\/strong> July 15, 2026 (therealnews.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., attends a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Common<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on <\/em>July 14, 2026<\/a>.<\/em> It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he pushed for Congress to approve $350 billion in new spending requested by the Pentagon<\/a>, House Speaker Mike Johnson<\/a> suggested Tuesday that some of the funds were needed for \u201cfighting communism on our own shores,\u201d an ominous notion in light of President Donald Trump\u2019s threats to deploy the US military<\/a> against his domestic enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the already record-breaking $1.1 trillion military spending<\/a> bill that was approved last month by the House Appropriations Committee, the Pentagon has requested a separate $350 billion package to be passed through a separate GOP-led spending bill known as \u201cReconciliation 3.0,\u201d which can pass without Democratic support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson (La.) has faced pushback<\/a> from some GOP<\/a> senators, including Sens. Susan Collins<\/a> (Maine<\/a>) and the hospitalized Sen. Mitch McConnell<\/a> (Ky.), as he\u2019s sought additional spending. During a press conference on Tuesday, Johnson made his case for Republicans<\/a> to back the reconciliation proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The speaker argued that the package included \u201ctransformational funding that will help us change the dynamic of the Department of War and make it more efficient and effective,\u201d including Trump\u2019s request to \u201ceffectively double the funding for national defense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook, we live in dangerous times,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe\u2019re fighting communism on our own shores, and we\u2019re fighting evil terrorists and tyrants around the world, and we have to be able to protect our national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mike Johnson says that the Pentagon is requesting an additional $350,000,000,000 for things like "fighting Communism on our own shores" pic.twitter.com\/3s3HH8E4eH<\/a><\/p>— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) July 14, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>