WASHINGTON, DC – The White House today released its Defense Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2022.  U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“The defense budget must always be viewed in the broader context of the national security and fiscal challenges we face.  We’ve got to ensure we have the right strategies and resources to keep the American people safe now and in the future, with a keen eye toward evolving and emerging threats around the globe. 

“The President’s Defense Budget Request is an outline and a starting point.  In the coming weeks, the Committee will hold in-depth, bipartisan hearings on the budget request with the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and service secretaries as we begin constructing this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

“Of note, Fiscal Year 2022 is the first in many years that we will not be constrained by the Budget Control Act.  Eliminating arbitrary spending caps means every department’s budget can, and should, be argued on its merits.  Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for programs or systems that are wasteful or ineffective.  And Congress must not shirk its responsibility to get rid of outdated weapons systems in favor of more advanced, effective new technologies and capabilities.  There must be a bipartisan commitment to truly bringing the power of the purse back to the Congress and, I hope, reinvigorating the appropriations process.

“This budget request appropriately recognizes China as the ‘pacing threat’ for our military.  However, our strategy toward China should not just be defined in defense dollars, but also by our engagement in the region with partners and allies, our economic policies, and other methods of influence to achieve the greatest comparative advantage.  I commend the Biden Administration for its proposal to strengthen America’s cyber defenses and enhance research and development for emerging technologies, particularly hypersonics, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, 5G, and quantum computing, which will be critical to the modernization of our national security.

“The proposed reinvestment in essential platforms like the Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines is a prudent decision.  At the same time, keeping the nature of strategic competition in mind, the proposed divestments of $2.8 billion of equipment across the services is also well-reasoned.  Belt tightening in any department, particularly defense, is always a challenge, but it is also an opportunity to evaluate what is necessary and what drives innovation.

“I would also note that the Biden Administration’s request eliminates Overseas Contingency Operations, or ‘OCO,’ as a separate funding category.  The President’s request instead includes war-fighting items in the base budget.  This reflects the reality of our changing operations around the globe.

“Amidst a global pandemic, climate change, economic uncertainty, and disruptive technologies in the hands of near-peer competitors, we must recognize the interconnected nature of the threats before us.  Congress must make thoughtful decisions about how we resource and transform our tools of national power.  Now that President Biden has issued his budget request, the Committee can begin our work of crafting an NDAA that meets America’s needs now and in the future.”