Washington, D.C. – Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee have been vocal in their displeasure with President Biden’s inadequate defense budget. Two weeks ago, U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, led 38 Republicans in urging President Biden to increase the defense budget by 5% over the rate of inflation.
Ranking Member Mike Rogers and House Armed Services Committee Republicans are united in calling for a sufficient defense topline so that our warfighters have the tools they need to defend our nation against the unprecedented threats we face.
Ranking Member Mike Rogers (R-AL): “Our nation faces unprecedented threats from China and Russia and it’s unconscionable that President Biden has chosen to once again shortchange our warfighters. By failing to account for inflation President Biden’s budget request would leave America weakened and vulnerable. In China, Xi Jinping is watching as President Biden continues to falter. In fact, while China has the largest navy in the world and is rapidly expanding their nuclear arsenal – President Biden’s budget request would decommission 24 U.S. Navy ships and cut funding for our own nuclear capabilities. Luckily, Congress calls the shots when it comes to funding our military. I am glad that all Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee are dedicated to fighting for a higher defense topline in the FY23 NDAA that accounts for inflation and ensures our warfighters have what they need to succeed in combat. I look forward to hearing from Secretary Austin and General Milley about the needs of our warfighters, the threats we face, and how Congress can fix President Biden’s inadequate defense budget.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC): “Nothing is more important than the security of our country and the defense budget must meet that need. The Biden administration’s FY 2023 proposal sadly underrepresents the reality of global insecurities, and must be adjusted.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH): “Last week, I joined a bicameral group of Members calling on the Biden Admin to present an adequate defense budget that takes into account record high-inflation rates and the growing threats aboard. Sadly, this Administration failed to create such a budget.” March 28th, 2022
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO): “Only China and Russia are reassured by Biden’s defense budget request, which does not even attempt to keep pace with the inflation his reckless spending has caused. I look forward to working with House Armed Services Republicans on a defense budget that achieves real growth for our warfighters.” March 28th, 2022
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA): “The Biden administration's requested defense budget for Fiscal Year 2023 does not reflect the threats facing our nation, the enormously damaging impacts of inflation on the purchasing power of the US military, or an investment in the ships, aircraft, vehicles, and additional capabilities that our servicemembers must use today…I am particularly disappointed that even as we aim to grow our naval and projection forces, this budget continues the divest to invest strategy that will shrink our fleet once again, underinvest in the fifth generation fighters we need to compete with peer adversaries, reduces our Air Force tanker force structure and once again prioritizes future technologies over the capacity and capabilities servicemembers need now to ensure we have a credible American military. I will work with my colleagues in Congress this year to ensure that we deliver a defense budget that genuinely invests in the national security of our nation.” March 28th, 2022
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO): “Across our nation, families continue to struggle with the Biden administration’s disastrous policies and anti-energy agenda. Prices have skyrocketed at the grocery store and the gas pump, making it difficult for everyday Americans to feed their families and get to work. President Biden’s answer? Focus on the wrong priorities by growing our national debt to $45 trillion by 2032 and further diminishing energy independence with Green New Deal payouts – all while failing to adequately fund our military to keep up with inflation.” March 28th, 2022
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA): “The President’s budget for the Department of Defense does not reflect the demands of the United States or the world as we need to support operations against Russia and keep our adversaries in China at bay. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide for the common defense as envisioned by our Founding Fathers in the U.S. Constitution.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL): “Joe Biden would rather pay too many Americans to live off welfare and mooch off the labors of hard-working American families, or pay illegal aliens to break our laws, than adequately fund America’s national security, the federal government’s #1 duty. Biden’s proposed $773 billion defense budget is at least a 4% cut in real dollar spending power (after adjusting for “the official” 8% inflation rate). Hence, Biden’s proposed defense cuts encourage America’s geo-political foes to engage in nefarious military attacks around the world, thereby risking war. Biden’s poorly thought out real dollar defense spending cuts must be stopped.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO): “The President’s budget calls for a real cut to troop pay when taking inflation into account. That’s unacceptable. We have to ensure American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, coast guardsmen, and guardians can take care of their families and have the tools they need to keep America safe.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY): “Biden’s budget once again cuts the size of our military in the heart of a national security crisis. Our servicemen and women deserve better from their Commander-in-Chief. Cutting our military and defense spending signals weakness to our foreign adversaries and further threatens our national security.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN): “For the second year in a row, the White House’s proposed defense budget fails to keep up with soaring inflation levels. The fiscal year 2023 budget this administration is pushing for only increases defense spending by four percent over fiscal year 2022. This weakens our national defense by reducing the size of our Army, Navy and Marine Corps, cutting funding for new nuclear deterrent capabilities, and reducing our ships and aircrafts. This signals to our adversaries and allies that our country is weak and unwilling to defend itself or protect our allies.” March 29th, 2022
Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS): “[The President’s budget] does not meet the 5% increase over inflation which means China and Russia continue and this is a dangerous time and we need to continue to raise that.” March 29, 2022
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI): “The world is growing more dangerous by the day, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the President’s budget. The Biden administration has proposed a real cut to defense that claims to prioritize the Indo-Pacific while simultaneously calling for four fewer ships than we are buying this year, ignoring lessons from Ukraine by failing to arm Taiwan to the teeth, and ultimately leaving our men and uniform most vulnerable in the mid-2020s, which is increasingly looking like the window of maximum danger for the U.S. and our allies.” March 28th, 2022
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): “It’s clear Joe Biden is purposely continuing down the path of hyperinflation at the expense of hypersonics. His budget falls woefully short on meeting our nation’s most pressing national security needs and continues to prioritize an America Last globalist agenda. Our military should be concentrating on the threats emanating from China, America’s true adversary. Instead, they are being indoctrinated by woke ideologies while dodging “extremist” witch hunts when they fail to march in step.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “The President’s budget busting proposal hurts defense and increases the national debt by: Spending $73 TRILLION over the next 10 years, cutting the number of ships and aircraft in our arsenal, and Inhibiting us to modernize and expand our deterrent and combat capabilities.” March 31st, 2022
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN): “The President has decided to shortchange America’s national security, even while he spends more taxpayer dollars each day than at any point in American history. It’s inexplicable. President Biden must reverse course and respond to Putin’s war of aggression and China’s rapid military buildup by strengthening our military.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): “The Biden Admin’s proposed defense budget fails to adequately fund our military at a level to counter the growing threats we face and keep our country safe. This is irresponsible & our adversaries will only be further emboldened.” March 31st, 2022
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI): “We need a defense budget that reflects the reality of today’s threats; unfortunately, the President’s proposed defense budget fails to even keep up with record-high inflation, created in large part from his own policies. It’s disappointing to see the President, once again, ignore these realities, ultimately putting our Nation and warfighters at risk.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL): “This budget falls short of preparing our military for the threats we face. A bipartisan Congressional Commission on the future of the military urged five percent growth on top on inflation. This budget falls short with only a four percent increase despite seven percent inflation. One would think with Putin, Xi, the Iranian regime, Kim Jung Un, and ISIS threatening the free world the Biden Administration would be enthusiastically providing the military with everything it needs to keep America safe. As the ranking Republican on military readiness, I am especially focused on training and maintenance. The world is watching the Russian logistics system fail its military. Logistics wins and loses wars and our logistics system needs greater investments than what this budget provides.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA): “We're going to need to adequately fund the Defense Department, period." March 28th, 2022
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN): “This defense budget is a far cry from the real dollars increase our men and women in uniform need.” March 31st, 2022
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK): “Due to the failed foreign policy decisions of Pres. Biden, our adversaries are emboldened and modernizing their militaries. During this unprecedented time, our defense spending must keep up with record high inflation.” March 30th, 2022
Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL): “The Biden administration’s proposed defense budget fails to account for the inflation it created with its own bad economic policies. This comes at a time when the United States faces a multitude of threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. We do not have the luxury of picking and choosing the threats we address. President Biden’s budget should reflect this fact.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI): “While Russia and China continue to be increasingly aggressive, the Biden Administration is making across-the-board cuts to investments in critical pieces of military equipment vital to a strong national defense. America needs to project strength, and this inadequate budget fails on many fronts.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX): “Last year, Congress rejected Biden’s proposed cut for defense spending on a BIPARTISAN basis. My House Armed Services Committee colleagues and I are calling on the administration to modernize our military and provide service members with needed resources!” March 31, 2022
Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL): “The United States – and the entire world – are safer and more secure when the United States is properly equipped to address these threats. Unfortunately, President Biden is allowing our defense funding to fall behind due to the record high inflation his terrible economic policies have caused. Just like last year, I will work with Congressman Mike Rogers and my Armed Services colleagues to ensure we are fully funding our armed forces and giving our men and women in uniform the tools and equipment they need to meet our nation’s defense needs.” March 30th, 2022
Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT): “After last year’s bipartisan rebuke of the President’s ill-advised defense cuts, I had hoped this administration would have adjusted in response to the invasion of Ukraine and the bipartisan appetite in Congress to provide our military the resources they need. Sadly, for the second year in a row, the FY23 budget fails to account even for inflation, failing the warfighter and our service members. I am eager to get to work with my colleagues to deliver the defense authorization our service members deserve.” April 4th, 2022
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX): “Biden's defense budget proposal falls painfully short. Their decision to cut the Armed Services' buying power severely limits our capabilities on the world stage.” March 30th, 2022
Apr 4, 2022
Press Release