US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday put out a more than $1.5 trillion budget proposal that would see US health, education and social service spending eclipse defense.

The Biden administration characterised the increase in non-defense spending as necessary to help the country recover from the COVID-19 downturn and create a more equitable economy in the years ahead.

Also read | Nuclear talks with Iran constructive and business-like: US

The spending request for the fiscal year 2022 would allocate $769.4 billion to non-defense programs, more than the $753 billion apportioned for defense spending, which was prioritized under Donald Trump but only slightly increased under Biden’s proposal.

“The President’s funding request makes things fairer,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Also read | Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin to meet Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu

“It injects capital into communities where capital is usually hard to come by. It will make paying taxes a more seamless process for millions of Americans. And it makes sure that corporations actually pay what they owe.”

The nearly 16% increase in non-defense spending would bring it to 3.3% of GDP, about equal to its historical average over the past three decades, Shalanda D. Young, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a letter to lawmakers.

Also read | Talks with Iran constructive and business-like: US

The budget is a yearly undertaking for US presidents, signalling their major funding priorities, but must be approved by Congress.

Biden’s proposal includes a more than 10% funding increase to $13.3 billion for the US tax authority to improve its services and help it better monitor corporations and high earners.