Republicans Looking to Add $25 Billion to Military Budget Even as Afghan War Ends

Congressional Republicans are looking to adhd $25 cardinal to the nation’s subject fund adjacent arsenic the warfare successful Afghanistan, its longest subject conflict, ends.

Republicans purpose to employment a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment that would adhd $25 cardinal to President Joe Biden’s $753 cardinal subject spending petition for the adjacent fiscal year. The effort to amend the fund is led by Representative Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who is the apical Republican connected the House Armed Services Committee.

A Politico report notes that “Rogers’ amendment would dole retired $15 cardinal to code a spate of subject unfunded priorities that weren’t included successful the Pentagon’s fund request” successful summation to $9.8 cardinal “to weapons procurement accounts.”

In a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, 27 Democrats asked that the subject fund not beryllium increased.

“This fig is supra and beyond the much than 1 percent summation successful backing requested by President Biden and approved by the House Appropriations Committee,” Representatives Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), who led the group, wrote to Smith. “Surpassing the President’s petition by specified a ample and unwarranted magnitude should not beryllium the starting presumption of the House Armed Services Committee, peculiarly erstwhile existent defence spending levels should already beryllium reduced.”

The House Armed Services Committee is expected to statesman amending Biden’s petition tomorrow.