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Topline
President Joe Biden’s budget request to Congress on Friday was met with applause from most of his party, but Republicans and some progressive Democrats took aim at his proposal to increase defense spending by 1.7% to $753 billion – less than what former President Donald Trump would have spent but not the cuts some Democrats have called for.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 25: Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives … [+]
Key Facts
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the leading Republicans on the Senate defense, intelligence, budget and appropriations panels said in a statement that defense is “neglected” in Biden’s budget in favor of “liberal wish list priorities here at home.”
The senators noted Biden’s budget request “doesn’t even keep up with inflation” even as Biden seeks a 16% increase in non-defense spending, asserting it sends a “terrible signal” to adversaries and allies.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, pointed to the testimony of top defense officials in 2017 that defense spending should increase by 3% to 5% a year, arguing that that level of spending is “necessary to keep America and our allies safe.”
Most Democrats who commented favorably on the budget request did not weigh in on defense spending, instead focusing on Biden’s major investments in education, housing, the environment and public health, though House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Biden is taking a “strategic approach to funding a strong national defense.”
But progressives like Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) argued that holding spending level is too much, with Pocan stating, “We need to actually decrease the Pentagon budget,” and Khanna calling to bring it down to Obama-era levels.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) echoed those complaints in a statement expressing “serious concerns” about the spending proposal, calling for a “serious look at the massive cost over-runs, the waste and fraud that currently exists at the Pentagon.”
Big Number
$1.52 Trillion. That’s the size of Biden’s budget request, an 8.4% increase over the 2021 budget passed by Congress. It includes major increases for the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Crucial Quote
“As the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I look forward to carefully reviewing the President’s request and working with my colleagues to write a budget that works for all of our people, not just the wealthy and well-connected,” Sanders said in his statement.
What To Watch For
The budget request, or “skinny budget,” mainly serves as a guide to the White House’s spending priorities and does not dictate how Congress appropriates funds, but given Democratic control of both chambers, it is likely to be central in negotiations. White House officials told reporters on Friday they have already begun interfacing with lawmakers and plan to release a more comprehensive budget later in the year.
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