- Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized President Biden for proposing an increase in defense spending.
- "No we do not need a massive increase in the defense budget," Sanders said in a statement responding to Biden's proposal.
- The White House cited Russia's invasion of Ukraine as part of the reason for its request.
Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized President Joe Biden's proposal to boost military spending to roughly $800 billion per year in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"At a time when we are already spending more on the military than the next 11 countries combined, no we do not need a massive increase in the defense budget," Sanders said in a statement reacting to the White House's budget proposal for FY 2023.
Like other liberal lawmakers, Sanders has often railed about the size of the defense budget compared to what the federal government devotes to social programs. As the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders has a powerful perch to argue his position from. It's worth noting that presidential budgets are routinely dismissed on Capitol Hill and are usually viewed as nothing more than messaging documents before lawmakers get down to the actual negotiations.
Sanders is correct that the US vastly outspends other nations on its defense. As of 2020, the US spent more on defense than China, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Australia combined. But experts have stressed that it is difficult to ascertain just how much China spends on its defense. European nations like France have also pledged to increase defense spending in the wake of Russia's invasion.
The White House's proposed $773 billion in defense spending would represent a 4% increase over the enacted 2022 spending, according to Defense News. Biden's 2022 budget called for a less than 3% increase, which sparked fury among Republicans. In comparison, Biden is calling for a roughly 7% increase in spending on domestic programs or roughly $1.6 trillion.
In a statement, Biden said he was calling for "one of the largest investments in our national security in history, with the funds needed to ensure that our military remains the best-prepared, best-trained, best-equipped military in the world. Biden's also sent a message to Congress that namechecks both Russia China while also arguing that the Pentagon would be prepared to "counter other persistent threats including those posed by North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations."
Some Republicans don't appear to be happy with Biden's proposal either, signaling a likely push to increase the Pentagon's budget even further.
"Senate Republicans have long said the obvious: our next defense budget needs to provide for real increases in readiness and security in the face of soaring inflation," Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, said in a statement. "But this budget does not even uphold that modest standard."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.