We Can’t Afford to Waste our Taxes on Nuclear Weapons April 15, 2026

Every year, Physicians for Social Responsibility tracks how much our country spends on nuclear weapons programs — and the numbers remain staggering. Today, PSR member Dr. Bob Dodge released the 2026 Community Cost Calculator, which reveals how much of your hard-earned tax dollars go toward maintaining and expanding a nuclear arsenal that must never be used.

In Fiscal Year 2026, the United States is projected to spend more than $137 billion on nuclear weapons programs. That amounts to $262,092 spent every second. At the same time, the most recent appropriations bill includes over $830 billion in defense spending, continuing a pattern of prioritizing militarization over human needs. For 2027, the White House has requested the largest ever increase in defense spending, totaling $1.5 trillion. 

These are resources that could be directed toward urgent priorities such as affordable housing, clean water, and climate resilience. Taxpayer funds should not be spent on indefensible wars, nuclear arms racing, or threats of genocide. Today, physicians in white coats are demonstrating in Washington, DC against genocide and mass civilian harm, calling attention to what the government is funding with taxpayer dollars. 

Visit the Community Cost Calculator to see how much your community is paying for nuclear weapons, and write your U.S. Representative. Urge them to oppose continued nuclear weapons spending and instead invest in the real needs of their constituents.