Battle Lines Drawn in Congressional Debate over Cutting — or Increasing — $842 Billion Pentagon Budget – By Rebecca Kheel (Military.com) / Mar 10, 2023
The debate in Congress over whether to continue a pattern of infusing billions of dollars more into the military than the Pentagon asked for or taking a scalpel to the budget for the first time in years is heating up with the release of President Joe Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal.
Failure to come to an agreement on funding the Pentagon and the rest of the federal government could mean a government shutdown or a U.S. default on its debts later this year, both of which have the potential to disrupt service members’ pay and benefits. And what level of defense funding Congress ultimately settles on could affect everything from U.S. preparations to compete with China to whether the military can replace moldy, crumbling barracks.
The White House on Thursday revealed it is seeking $842 billion for the Pentagon next year. That’s a $26 billion, or 3.2%, increase above the amount Congress approved for the department this year.
