ANNAPOLIS, Md. — As Marylanders filed their 2024 federal income tax returns or requested extensions this week, a national breakdown revealed that military spending consumed a significant portion of their contributions, with the average taxpayer paying $3,700 to maintain the U.S. military arsenal. Maryland, home to 20 military installations, plays a key role in this expenditure. With President Donald Trump proposing a record-breaking $1 trillion military budget for 2025, experts warn of rising costs alongside potential cuts to health and homelessness programs, which could impact the state’s residents.
The National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies reported that military spending, a top federal expense, accounted for about 13% of the 2024 federal budget, with the U.S. Department of Defense allocated approximately $816 billion.
“We’ve been expecting to see it hit $1 trillion sometime in the near future,” said Lindsay Koshgarian, director of the National Priorities Project. “I don’t think we were expecting it quite so soon as this.” She noted a slight decline in military budgets post-2008 recession but highlighted steady increases in recent years. Trump’s proposed $1 trillion budget, if approved, would surpass all previous records, potentially straining federal resources as Maryland’s bases, including Fort Meade and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, see increased activity.
Health programs, the largest share of federal spending, received about $1.9 trillion in 2024, supporting Medicaid, Medicare, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average taxpayer contributed under $18,000, with health initiatives taking precedence. However, Trump and adviser Elon Musk have pledged to cut at least $1 trillion in federal spending, targeting smaller agencies. “I think what we’re likely to see next year is a lot less money for things like that, without necessarily any appreciable savings for most of us,” Koshgarian warned, referencing programs like homelessness assistance, which received just one penny per taxpayer in 2024.
Deportation and border enforcement, costing taxpayers about $100 each in 2024, could also rise in 2025 as Trump pushes for mass deportations. The Senate’s $340 billion budget plan, approved in February 2025, allocates $175 billion for border security, including funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Maryland’s proximity to federal agencies managing these policies, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C., ties the state to these shifts. Meanwhile, homelessness initiatives, critical in urban areas like Baltimore, face potential cuts. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness noted that 2024’s $10 billion investment in homelessness prevention could shrink, exacerbating local challenges.
Maryland taxpayers, balancing contributions to military might and social programs, face uncertainty as 2025 budget debates unfold. The proposed military expansion and deportation efforts, coupled with spending reductions, may reshape federal priorities, impacting the state’s economy and vulnerable populations. Koshgarian’s projections suggest that cuts to smaller programs will yield minimal savings, leaving Marylanders to navigate the consequences of a shifting fiscal landscape.
