- The Biden administration is about to ask Congress for the largest defense budget in U.S. history, according to Politico.
- Lawmakers in December approved $858 billion in defense spending, more than President Biden had requested.
- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Conservatives called on Mr. Biden to cut government spending.
Biden administration ‘very close’ to demanding largest defense budget in U.S. history According to Politico.
Biden administration officials will seek funding from Congress as soon as they agree on top-line numbers, according to the Pentagon’s chief financial officer. We will add this figure as part of the 2024 budget request to be released.
Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord told Politico that he expected the figure to be “larger than Congress provided last year.”
McCord declined to elaborate further on the specific numbers, which could still change, but said the Pentagon is trying to gather munitions to replenish U.S. stockpiles, while collaborating with Russia. He told Politico that he continues to support Ukraine in the fight.
Lawmakers in December approved $858 billion in defense spending. This is $45 billion more than he asked for by President Joe Biden. According to Politico, that includes $817 billion set aside for the Department of Defense, with billions of additional dollars set aside for nuclear weapons development and separate national security programs.
To enable the Department of Defense to act as a bulwark against Russia, while maintaining technological capabilities to counter China’s growing influence on the global stage and its fight against inflation. I was looking for
But unlike last year, the administration’s Pentagon budget proposal is now facing a skeptical House Republican majority, seeking to force spending cuts related to plans to raise the debt ceiling. Calls for an increase, but California House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his Republican Congress are calling for spending cuts.
Biden and McCarthy met at the White House earlier this month to discuss the debt ceiling. The speaker preemptively said he would not seek cuts to Medicare and Social Security as they relate to debt ceiling negotiations.
Recent Republicans layout There are some potential areas they feel ripe for spending cuts, such as Biden’s student debt relief plan and the Environmental Protection Agency’s programs included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Republican leaders have not ruled out the possibility of cutting some Pentagon spending, but the more hawkish members of the Republican Congress tend to oppose drastic cuts in defense spending.
McCord told Politico that lawmakers would have to make tough decisions if they wanted the Pentagon to cut spending significantly.
“You’re going to have to face the hard question of what do you want to cut? Do you want fewer people? Do you want fewer ships? Do you want fewer planes? Do you want less pay raises? That’s where the money is.” So,” he told the outlet.