Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both used the Democratic presidential debates to call on other NATO members to spend more on defense. Donald Trump has gone even further, saying the U.S. should rethink its involvement in the military alliance because it costs too much money. Many European members -- including big economies like France and Germany -- spend less than the amount called for by NATO guidelines. The U.S. shells out far more money on defense than any other nation on the planet. According to NATO statistics, the U.S. spent an estimated $650 billion on defense in 2015. That's more than double the amount all the other 27 NATO countries spent between them, even though their combined GDP tops that of the U.S. [Source: CNN Money | Ivana Kottasova | April 15, 2016++]
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The Wall ► Democrats Said ‘Build That Fence' in 2006
As a senator, Barack Obama once offered measured praise for the border control legislation that would become the basis for one of Donald Trump’s first acts as president. “The bill before us will certainly do some good,” Obama said on the Senate floor in October 2006. He praised the legislation, saying it would provide “better fences and better security along our borders” and would “help stem some of the tide of illegal immigration in this country.” Obama was talking about the Secure Fence Act of 2006, legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democratic senators including party leaders like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer.
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