No Script

Please Wait...

Ramadan Kareem...

Biden’s Proposed Pentagon Budget under Fire from Both Democrats, Republicans 

Biden’s Proposed Pentagon Budget under Fire from Both Democrats, Republicans 
folder_openUnited States access_time2 years ago
starAdd to favorites

By Staff, Agencies 

US President Joe Biden released on Friday the outlines of his first budget proposal to the Congress. As part of his proposal, Biden is requesting a $753 billion military budget, with $715 billion of that to be allocated to the Pentagon.

Biden is receiving criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for his proposed $715 billion military budget released Friday, with progressives arguing that the budget is too much money for the Pentagon, and Republicans stating that the budget request is not enough to support the country’s war needs, especially against adversaries like China. 

According to the budget plan, the $715 billion for the War Department is 1.6% higher than the $704 billion allocated to it in 2021.

US Representative Mark Pocan argued Friday that the increase in Pentagon spending levels is an “unacceptable increase.”

"We cannot best build back better if the Pentagon’s budget is larger than it was under Donald Trump," Pocan said Friday, cited by Fox News.

Representative Ro Khanna also agreed, calling for Biden to return to military spending levels under the Barack Obama administration.

Meanwhile, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders also expressed concerns about the “bloated’ Pentagon request.

"At a time when the US already spends more on the military than the next 12 nations combined, it is time for us to take a serious look at the massive cost overruns, the waste and fraud that currently exists at the Pentagon," Sanders said Friday.

However, Republicans voiced different concerns, with five leading GOP senators, including US Senator Marco Rubio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, arguing Friday that Biden’s 1.6% increase in Pentagon funds simply accounts for inflation.

"President Biden’s budget proposal cuts ‘defense’ spending, sending a terrible signal not only to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow, but also to our allies and partners," the GOP senators wrote. "Cutting America’s ‘defense’ budget completely undermines Washington Democrats’ tough talk on China and calls into question the administration’s willingness to confront the Chinese Communist Party”.

Biden’s proposal also eliminates the Overseas Contingency Operations funds, additional funds operated by the War Department and the State Department to handle conflicts with uncertain costs.

Comments