Ashik Siddique is a research analyst for the National Priorities Project, working on analysis of the federal budget and military spending. He is particularly interested in examining how militarized U.S. domestic and foreign policy interacts with efforts to address long-term societal threats like accelerating inequality and climate change.

Prior to joining NPP, Ashik was the research and digital communications lead and a founding member of The Climate Mobilization. Ashik graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Neuroscience & Behavior, and worked for several years as a research coordinator of a study on PTSD in combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan at the Bronx VA Medical Center.

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FACT SHEET: Invest in Communities, Not Violence

Here’s how legislators have splurged on militarism, and what could happen if those funds instead benefited people and communities.

House GOP Wants to Pair Israel Military Aid With IRS Cuts That Help Rich Tax Cheats

“House Republicans are using aid for Israel as a political pawn in order to slash taxes for their wealthy donors,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.

Common Dreams highlights the National Priorities Project’s Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza

The U.S. should use diplomatic channels to work for an immediate ceasefire, and shout not provide more weapons and military aid to Israel.

REPORT: The Warfare State: How Funding for Militarism Compromises Our Welfare

Nearly two-thirds of the federal discretionary budget goes to militarized federal programs, leaving just over a third for our communities — a sliver some lawmakers want to cut even further.

The U.S. Still Spends More on Its Military Than Over 144 Nations Combined

World military spending reached a new record high of $2.4 trillion in 2022, with the United States spending the most by far.

Tax Day 2023: Where Your 2022 Tax Dollars Went

IPS’s National Priorities Project takes a look at where American taxpayers’ money went in 2022, and how skewed our national priorities are.

FACT SHEET: No National Security without Climate Security

How Washington’s climate spending compares to its investments in the military.

U.S. Still Spends More on Military Than Next Nine Countries Combined

Over-investment in the military is a factor that left the U.S. so vulnerable to the pandemic in the first place.

Tax Day 2022: We Got The Receipts

How does our government actually spend our tax dollars? NPP has the receipts.

Military Aid to Ukraine Balloons — But We Need Diplomacy and Funding for Human Needs

It’s not enough to say no to war. We urgently need our government to invest in real human needs for all, instead of further militarizing our planet.

The U.S. COMPETES with China — At What Cost?

The America COMPETES bill is part of a dangerous trend of feeding tensions between the U.S. and China.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Internationalist Vision is More Crucial Than Ever

On MLK Day this year, it’s worth remembering not just King’s sharp diagnosis of American society’s ills, but also his prescription for transformative social change.

State of Insecurity

The Cost of Militarization Since 9/11

COVID Shrank the Global Economy, but U.S. Military Spending is Still More Than the Next 11 Countries Combined

The U.S. accounts for 39 percent of global military spending. That’s more than the next eleven countries combined.

Biden’s 2022 Budget Raises Military Spending Past $750 Billion

We must shift government resources away from what causes harm, and reinvest it in what can really keep our communities safe.

Peace Groups Urge Support for the PRO Act

The PRO Act would help the U.S. serve as a global model for labor rights, reducing conflict, and promoting peace.

To Win a Green New Deal, Pass the PRO Act

The PRO Act would establish a baseline for ensuring that working people can fight for and win transformative climate policies that benefit everyone.

Could Biden’s Climate Policy Invite More Militarism?

Climate change poses an existential threat. That doesn’t mean we should further empower an already bloated Pentagon.

Americans Want to Reinvest Ten Percent of the Military Budget Against Coronavirus

The major challenges flaring up today demand strong public investment in community well-being and resilient infrastructure, not more militarization.

Ten Better Uses for Ten Percent of the Pentagon Budget

Military spending is at historically high levels, and increasing under Trump. A ten percent cut is an overdue correction to the bloated Pentagon budget.