Congress rejects Biden’s defense budget

Congress has been working on next year’s defense budget, and for the second year in a row, members of both parties have rejected President Biden’s proposal as insufficient. It’s a welcome development, although Washington is only beginning to address the threats the United States faces.

The Senate Armed Services Committee recently passed a National Defense Authorization for 2023 that would provide the Pentagon with $817 billion, compared to about $773 billion requested by the Biden administration, a difference of about $45 billion. The House amended its original draft in committee to add $37 billion at President Biden’s request. These increases are partly aimed at mitigating inflation, which crushes the purchasing power of the Pentagon, particularly on fuel and housing.