In general, how do you feel about the US government’s current level of military spending?

It’s too much (68%) – "I'm all for strong defense. But we've tipped over into a strong offense that I'm less comfortable with. Also if our allies are supposedly now spending more and finally pulling their fair share, doesn't that mean we can get a little break?"

• "Our country has too money domestic problems. We should not bet fighting other country's wars which are endless. Our debt is staggering and we must start reducing it for the sake of our children's future. There are too many military bases all over the world. The founding fathers warned about foreign entanglements. We should listen to their words of wisdom. The military/industrial complex controls our foreign policy."

"I don't think the biggest issue is how much the DOD spends, it is more a question of HOW they spend it. When was the last time the DOD passed an audit? Research it, I think it will astound you. I realize the process of competitive bidding is arduous and time consuming, but there are thousands of companies that can produce parts of the highest quality and best value that are overlooked. I'm surprised Elon didn't straighten this waste, fraud and abuse out with DOGE."

• "Our deficit is ballooning more under this administration and where the federal government is making cuts, states are having to fund it so we still pay. The Republican Party is supposed to be the fiscally Conservative Party and that is not happening. I worry about the increasing deficit we are passing onto to our kids, not to mention the affordability crisis they are facing right now."

"The Defense Industrial Base (from the Boeings and Raytheons and Huntington Ingalls to the mom and pop parts shops) are very, very good at milking the Department for its money. I've never seen so much money spent for so little in return. From terrible office supplies to weapons platforms like the F35 that, while cutting edge, were insanely overpriced, the Department is overspending and underreceiving. If you want to fix spending levels, you need to get that under control. We could stay at current spending levels and optimize, though it would require addressing the legalized graft in the DIB. And they have a very, very good lobby."

• "We are spending way too much, particularly on foreign entanglements. Our national debt is growing at such a fast pace that our interest payments will soon one of the largest line items in the budget. We need Congress to be fiscally responsible and start paying down the national debt so that we don't run out of money."

"This is a huge spending bill with little oversight to ensure the funds are used wisely. And two other considerations need to taken into account. First is the disturbing trend that members of the President's family are profiting from defense contracts, both directly and indirectly. Second, the current Secretary of Defense conbines a disturbing agenda of racism, mysogyny, and an unhealthy Christian Nationalism and it would be extremely dangerous to entrust these huge dollar sums to him. Finally, with such large cuts in social services spending by the current administration I simply do not trust this administration to have such a large checkbook for the Defense Department."

It’s about the right amount (19%) – "Our military needs continual improvement/modernization and figure is about correct but....we need to ensure that there is no waste or inflated costs that are being used to scratch contractor backs."

• "I think the US is spending in the wrong areas. As the Ukraine and Iran wars are showing, drone warfare is where it is at. We should not be shooting expensive Patriot missiles at $500 dollar drones. We need to develop low cost tech to take out low cost drones on the battlefield."

It’s too little (13%) – "One thing we have learned from both the Russian attack on Ukraine and the US attack on Iran is that, no matter how powerful you are, and no matter how advanced your weaponry, a quick war does not happen. Also, resupply of weapons don't magically reappear. Drones and AI enabled weapons are beginning to appear - we are still relying on expensive tomahawk missiles - old tech that cheap tech can defeat by shear numbers. We have to spend more to close that gap."