CBO Says Guard Deployments Cost $496 Million Through 2025
CBO estimates National Guard and active-duty deployments to six cities totaled $496 million through Dec. 2025 and could add $93 million per month.
Overview
CBO Director Phillip Swagel wrote in a Jan. 28, 2026 letter that deployments to six cities cost about $496 million through Dec. 2025 and would add $93 million per month if kept.
The estimate covers Los Angeles ($193 million), Washington, D.C. ($223 million), Chicago ($21 million), Oregon ($26 million) and Memphis ($33 million), the CBO letter shows.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., called the spending 'a waste of taxpayer dollars,' while President Donald Trump defended the deployments as necessary to combat crime in a Jan. 3, 2026 press conference.
The CBO said Washington's deployment accounted for $223 million and included about 2,690 Guard members, and it estimated keeping 2,950 personnel in Washington would cost $55 million per month, the letter states.
The agency warned future costs are 'highly uncertain' because of legal challenges and policy shifts, and it estimated each additional 1,000 Guard members would cost $18 million to $21 million per month, CBO said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame coverage around fiscal and legal critique, foregrounding CBO cost estimates and critical voices while treating administration claims as rebuttal. Editorial choices — lead with $496 million, prominent Merkley and watchdog statements, and inclusion of a judge’s "willfully" ruling — prioritize taxpayer cost and legality over operational defenses.
Sources (10)
FAQ
Deployments cost: Los Angeles ($193 million), Washington D.C. ($223 million), Chicago ($21 million), Portland Oregon ($26 million), Memphis ($33 million), plus costs for 200 personnel in Texas after Chicago.[1]
Continuing deployments at year-end 2025 levels would cost $93 million per month.[1]
Deployments began in June 2025 in response to protests over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles and to combat crime in cities like Chicago, Memphis, Portland, New Orleans, and Washington D.C.[2]
Deploying 1,000 National Guard personnel would cost $18 million to $21 million per month, depending on local living costs.[2]
Sen. Merkley called the spending a waste of taxpayer dollars and accused Trump of reckless deployment; other Democrats like Sen. Duckworth criticized it as harmful to military readiness.
History
5 sources