Republicans were quick to strongly criticise President Joe Biden’s $715 billion spending proposal on the US military announced on Friday.  

While there is a hike in the military spending budget, it pales in comparison to the sharp hike introduced by Donald Trump in the 2018 fiscal year budget. 

Republicans are referring to the capping as weakening of the US military and demanded a bigger budget while referring to America’s main rival — China’s strong military and defence, reported AFP. 

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Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators called Biden’s proposal as sending a “terrible signal” to adversaries and allies alike. 

Their statement read, “China’s military investments match its desire to out-compete America and hold our military forces at risk. President Biden’s defence spending cut doesn’t even keep up with inflation. Talk is cheap, but defending our country is not.” 

Biden invited Congress to demark $753 billion for defence and national security for the fiscal year of 2022 that begins on October 1 this year. Out of the $753 billion, around $715 billion will be allotted to the Pentagon increased from $704 billion in the current budget but a decrease if inflation is taken into account. 

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About $107 billion would be allotted for defence-related research, development and weapons. Biden proposes an increased focus on artificial intelligence, hypersonic missiles, autonomous vehicles, and microelectronics. He further wants to modernize nuclear weaponry and strengthen the delivery systems — bombers, submarines and missiles.

With increased concerns about the US military being outpaced by the Chinese, Biden also proposes to support the expansion of the US Navy’s fleet. 

The draft budget also emphasizes military operations that address and acknowledge climate change. It will also give the US armed forces a modest pay increase. 

White House said in its sending proposal, “It is vital to national security that US military installations, and the mission-critical capabilities these installations support, are resilient to climate-induced extreme weather.” 

The Pentagon said in a statement that the budget “continues to improve military readiness and invest in the modernization of a more lethal force.” 

On the other hand, progressive Democrats said that the Biden administration needs to make real and tangible cuts to the military. budget. 

Representative Ro Khanna took to Twitter and wrote the US should not be “pouring more money into price gouging defence contractors and wasteful projects.”