Defense Budget for 2022 is First Test of Biden Administration on China | Opinion Jim Inhofe
, Republican Senator, Oklahoma On 4/1/21 at 8:00 AM EDT
President Joe Biden has talked the talk about pushing back on Chinese aggression, but the real marker of whether his administration is serious about competition with China will be its proposed defense budget.
Our budget must match our strategy; that s budgeting 101. This should be straightforward so why is the Biden administration proposing to cut or flatline the defense budget?
China gets it. Beijing also talked a big game at the first bilateral showdown in Anchorage two weeks ago but has backed that talk up by increasing the PLA defense budget by 6.8 percent this year. If the United States responds with a budget cut instead of a corresponding investment, it would send a terrible signal to Beijing.
‘Guam is a target today.’ Pacific chief pitches Aegis Ashore to Congress March 9 Security forces airmen patrol near a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer taxiway at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission, Dec. 26, 2020. (Senior Airman Tristan Day/Air Force) WASHINGTON ― Warning that China’s missile arsenal threatens Guam and the United States will have to “fight for it,” the head of Indo-Pacific Command pitched lawmakers on building an Aegis Ashore missile defense facility to guard the U.S. territory. Adm. Phil Davidson told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the island needs protection as the home of 170,000 U.S. citizens and service members, a deepwater strategic port, fuel and munition stores and an airfield used to project U.S. power. Guam would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is hopeful President Biden’s nominee to lead the Pentagon’s policy shop will get a “fair shot” after Republican opposition to the pick emerged.
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