Congress holds the purse strings for national defense, not the President.

Outline (brief)

• Hook: Why the question of who funds national defense matters to every student, not just grown-ups in DC

• The constitutional backbone: Congress as the “power of the purse”

• Roles of the big players: President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs, and Congress

• How the money moves: from proposal to appropriation, with a quick glossary

• Why this matters to everyday people and to NJROTC students

• A real-world, simple example to ground the idea

• How to study this topic without it feeling dry

• Takeaway: responsibility, oversight, and the civilian-military balance

Who pays for national defense, and why it matters to you

Let me explain something that often feels abstract but is actually pretty down-to-earth: who pays for national defense in the United States? If you’re in LMHS NJROTC, you know there’s a lot more to military life than uniforms and drills. There’s money behind every deployment, every training mission, every new jet or satellite—money that has to be approved and watched over. So, who owns that money? The short answer: Congress. The longer answer, with a few moving parts, helps explain how a nation keeps its security promises while still keeping a grip on taxpayer dollars.

The constitutional backbone: Congress as the power of the purse

In plain terms, Congress has the power to tax and to spend. This isn’t a modern rumor; it’s baked into the U.S. Constitution. The phrase you’ll hear tossed around is the “power of the purse.” Congress uses this power to decide how much money the federal government will collect and, just as importantly, how that money will be spent. When it comes to national defense, that means Congress approves the funds that keep the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and space programs running.

Think of it as a budgeting checkpoint. The Constitution wants civilians to oversee the military budget, not to have it move forward automatically. This setup is meant to prevent sudden, unchecked spending and to ensure every dollar aligns with the country’s priorities.

What each actor does (and why their roles matter)

• Congress: Ultimately, Congress approves the money. They pass appropriations bills that specify defense funding for the next year or multiple years, sometimes through ongoing funding measures when full bills aren’t ready. This is where accountability lives—the people’s representatives decide how resources are allocated and then watch how they’re used.

• The President: As Commander-in-Chief, the President helps set defense priorities and submits the annual budget request. The White House proposes what the military needs—new gear, readiness programs, research, and more—and argues why it deserves funding. The President also negotiates with Congress, trying to shape the final numbers.

• The Secretary of Defense: This is the civilian leader who runs the Department of Defense day to day. The Secretary implements policy, manages spending, and ensures resources are used effectively. In short, they turn big-picture priorities into concrete budget plans and oversee how money is spent on the ground.

• The Joint Chiefs of Staff: They’re the senior military advisers who provide professional military advice to the President and the Secretary of Defense. They don’t decide budget lines, but their insights about readiness, force structure, and long-term needs influence what gets requested and how it’s used.

How the money moves: a simple map from proposal to allocation

Here’s a straightforward way to picture the flow:

1. Proposals and priorities: The President’s team, with input from military leaders, sketches what the defense budget should fund—new ships, maintenance, training, technology, personnel pay, and more.

2. Authorization vs. appropriation: There are two kinds of laws here. Authorization bills set policy and authorize programs; appropriation bills actually provide the money. Think of authorization as a green light for a program and appropriation as the money that follows that light.

3. The budget cycle: Each year, Congress considers multiple appropriations bills, including a defense bill. Sometimes, when all bills aren’t ready in time, Congress uses continuing resolutions to keep defense funding steady while negotiations finish.

4. Oversight and accountability: Once funds are approved, Congress, through committees and audits, checks how taxpayers’ money is spent. If something goes off track, they can adjust or demand explanations.

5. The final shape: By the end of the process, the government has a funded defense plan that reflects national security goals, fiscal reality, and public accountability.

Why this matters beyond the headlines—and for NJROTC students

This isn’t just civics trivia. It matters to people who serve and to people who benefit from a strong, transparent government. For NJROTC cadets, understanding this process builds a bridge between classroom knowledge and real-world governance. It’s a practical reminder that the military is funded by a civilian institution, and that civilian control matters for democracy.

A simple, real-world lens helps: imagine a year when the Department of Defense identifies a critical need—say, improved cyber defense or a new training fleet. The President suggests funding to meet that need, the Secretary of Defense confirms the plan, Joint Chiefs weigh in on feasibility, and Congress must decide whether to fund it and how much. If Congress approves, the money flows to the right pockets, contracts, and programs. If not, the plan changes, or it faces delays. Either way, oversight ensures decisions are not made in a vacuum.

A little scenario that keeps it grounded

Picture this: a shipbuilding program is proposed because new threats require better ships. The President includes the request in his budget, citing safety, readiness, and industrial base stability. The Secretary of Defense explains deployment timelines and maintenance costs. The Joint Chiefs provide a military assessment—will these ships meet tomorrow’s needs? Then Congress reviews, questions costs, timelines, and trade-offs, and decides what to fund. If Congress approves, the money goes to shipyards, suppliers, and crews. If not, the project adjusts or waits.

And the human angle? People feel the ripple effects. The budget touches pay for service members and civilian employees, maintenance of bases, training programs, research and development, and even the security of supply chains that keep bases running. Behind every line item is a group of people who rely on those decisions to keep missions flowing, families supported, and communities secure.

Studying this topic without turning it into a dry lecture

If you’re curious about how this works, start with a few accessible anchors:

• The Constitution’s Article I, which lays out Congress’s spending powers.

• The annual defense appropriations process in Congress, which you can track in broad terms on government sites or reliable news outlets.

• The difference between authorization and appropriation—two big steps that shape how programs exist and how money actually shows up.

Glossary bite-size:

• Appropriation: the act of providing money for a specific purpose.

• Authorization: permission to carry out a program or policy (even before money is allocated).

• Continuing resolution: a stopgap measure that funds government programs when new bills aren’t ready.

• Commanding officers vs civilian leaders: a reminder that the military answers to elected officials, not just to itself.

A few tips to keep this lively and memorable:

• Follow a real-world story: look up a defense program and trace how it moves through authorization and appropriation.

• Use a simple diagram: draw arrows from President’s proposal to Congress’s appropriation, with notes about oversight steps.

• Tie it to civic life: consider how local budgets relate to national spending and how oversight functions at different levels.

A final takeaway you can carry with you

Here’s the bottom line, told in plain terms: Congress holds the purse strings. They decide how much is spent on defense and what it should cover. The President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs shape the needs and plan, but the final decision rests with the lawmakers who represent the people. It’s a system designed to balance national security with accountability.

If you’re exploring this because you’re curious about how our government keeps faith with the public, you’re in good company. It’s not just about numbers on a page; it’s about how money, policy, and oversight come together to support readiness, safety, and a stable future. And for a group like LMHS NJROTC, that connection between civilian leadership and military service isn’t a theory—it’s a living, everyday truth.

If you want to keep this conversation going, ask yourself:

• How does civilian control shape how we fund missions we believe in?

• What oversight mechanisms are most effective in preventing waste while still enabling rapid readiness?

• How does understanding the budget process change the way we view national security?

There’s a lot to learn in plain sight, and the more you learn, the more you’ll see how these choices touch everything—from ships at sea to the street you live on. That blend of responsibility, clarity, and real-world impact is what makes civics feel relevant—and yeah, a little exciting, too.