Senate GOP slams Biden defense budget

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Senate GOP slams Biden defense budget
By Alexander Bolton - 04/09/21 02:47 PM EDT

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other top Republicans are blasting President Biden’s defense budget for proposing a modest increase in military spending in contrast to the 16 percent increase the president has proposed for nondefense programs.

McConnell along with Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and other GOP lawmakers accused Biden of prioritizing “liberal wish list priorities” while “funding for America’s military is neglected.”

The Republican senators warned that Biden’s defense budget won’t keep pace with China's as it “aspires to overtake America as the world’s dominant superpower.”

“Over the past decade, China’s defense spending has increased by $200 billion while America’s decreased by $400 billion. China’s military investments match its desire to out-compete America and hold our military forces at risk,” they wrote. “President Biden’s defense spending cut doesn’t even keep up with inflation.”

Biden has proposed a hearty 16 percent increase in nondefense spending by mapping out a $769 billion nondefense budget that represents a $105 billion increase over current levels.

He would increase the defense budget 1.7 percent to $753 billion, an increase of $12.3 billion.

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https://thehill.com/policy/defense/547409-senate-gop-slams-biden-defense-budget