US lawmakers seek to move funding from nuclear weapons to education

United States Senator Ed Markey's Invest in Children Before Missiles (ICBM) Act seeks to redirect funding for a new nuclear weapons programme to public education.

• United States legislators Senator Ed Markey and House Representative Ro Khanna, with the support of other members of Congress, have introduced the Invest in Children Before Missiles (ICBM) Act.

• The legislation would redirect funding from the Sentinel nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program to the U.S. Department of Education.

• A new report from UN Secretary General António Guterres warns that global military spending is soaring, fuelling a new arms race and placing immense pressure on national budgets and priorities.

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17), along with Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), introduced the Investing in Children Before Missiles (ICBM) Act of 2025, legislation that would redirect funding from the Sentinel nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program to the U.S. Department of Education.

The Trump administration is planning to replace the current fleet of nuclear-armed Minuteman III ICBMs with a new fleet of Sentinel ICBMs and is seeking to double the budget for the Sentinel missile to $4.1 billion for fiscal year 2026.

“The United States should invest in education, not annihilation,” said Senator Markey. “The ICBM Act makes clear that we will not continue to waste billions on nuclear weapons we do not need—and that actually make us less safe—when there are more important things to fund, like public education. The Sentinel program is 81 percent over budget—we are literally throwing taxpayer dollars down the deepest money pit ever created. When you are in a hole, stop digging. The ICBM Act signals we intend to make the world safe from nuclear weapons and prioritize spending that improves lives, rather than endangering them.”

“Instead of sinking tens of billions of taxpayer dollars into propping up a relic of our outdated Cold War-era nuclear strategy – and raising the risk of global mass destruction – we can invest more in fostering greater opportunity for our next generation. The Investing in Children Before Missiles Act does just that – diverting taxpayer funds away from an increasingly expensive programme and instead directing them toward ensuring every child receives a quality education, without compromising our national security,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“The United States is currently spending billions of dollars on nuclear weapons programs with limited oversight and accountability. As cost overruns continue to mount, Congress must rein in out-of-control nuclear weapons spending and instead responsibly invest these dollars in the success of America’s future leaders: our children,” said Senator Merkley. 

In September, UN Secretary General António Guterres published ‘The security we need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future’.

The report warns that global military spending is soaring, fuelling a new arms race and placing immense pressure on national budgets and priorities.

Launching the report, Mr. Guterres said, “In 2024, global military spending surged to a record $2.7 trillion– the equivalent of $334 for every person on Earth. 

“That is nearly thirteen times the amount of official development assistance from the world’s wealthiest nations – and 750 times the regular budget of the United Nations.

“At the same time, our shared promise of sustainable development is in jeopardy. Only one in five Sustainable Development Goal targets is on track. The financing gap is growing – and so is the cost of inaction.

“Redirecting even a fraction of today’s military spending could close vital gaps – putting children in school and protecting the most vulnerable.”