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Biden Seeks Modest Bump for Record $895B Defense Budget

March 13, 2024

Brad Dress and Ellen Mitchell

The Hill

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, to announce that the Pentagon will act upon the 90-day commission recommendations on sexual assault and harassment in the military. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

By Brad Dress and Ellen Mitchell, March 11, 2024 / The Hill

The Biden administration’s defense budget for fiscal 2025 is only a 1 percent increase from last year’s, a slowdown in spending that will prevent the Pentagon from quickly refilling weapons stocks gutted by the wars in Ukraine and Israel, according to documents released Monday. 

The $895.2 billion proposal, while the highest number ever for defense, is constrained by budget caps agreed to last summer by President Biden and then-House Speaker and former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), which hold spending increases to 1 percent for the next two years. 

While the request will certainly meet opposition from the Republican-controlled House, it offers a starting point for negotiations on the next fiscal year and outlines Biden’s priorities. 

Read the rest of the article here: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4524735-biden-record-895b-defense-budget/

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