{"id":15042,"date":"2022-03-29T12:36:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T12:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/03\/29\/inflation-sparks-new-fight-over-bidens-military-budget-request\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:28:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:28:55","slug":"inflation-sparks-new-fight-over-bidens-military-budget-request","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2022\/03\/29\/inflation-sparks-new-fight-over-bidens-military-budget-request\/","title":{"rendered":"Inflation sparks new fight over Biden\u2019s military budget request"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Spiking inflations\u2019s potential effect on the Pentagon has emerged as a line of attack for Republicans who argue President Joe Biden\u2019s defense budget<\/a> was already treading water when it was introduced Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflationary shocks are driving up Pentagon costs for labor, fuel and other materials, prompting Republicans to call for more than Biden\u2019s $813 billion national defense budget<\/a> request for fiscal 2023. That request would be a $30 billion, or 4%, boost from the fiscal 2022 level enacted by Congress \u2015 which is a nominal increase above the Pentagon\u2019s assumption of 2.5% inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The armed services committees\u2019 lead Republicans, Sen. Jim Inhofe, and Rep. Mike Rogers, have pressed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the armed services secretaries, in a series of letters obtained by Defense News, to explain where their inflation figures came from, noting the Labor Department calculates the Consumer Price Index at 7.9%, a 40-year peak. Both are among Republicans who have called for a 5 percent increase above inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along similar lines Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was swift to react to the defense budget release, arguing that it \u201cfalls woefully short.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur commander-in-chief has again failed to budget for the resources that our armed forces actually need,\u201d McConnell said, adding: \u201cSo even if you accept the White House\u2019s rosiest predictions about where inflation is headed, this would amount to a flat funding defense with none of the robust growth we need to keep pace with Russia and China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emphasizing China and Russia, the request boasts the Pentagon\u2019s largest research and development budget yet, at $130 billion for new weapons like hypersonic missiles. It would retire systems like the Littoral Combat Ship, citing the expense to maintain it, and the A-10 Warthog aircraft, which defense officials argue isn\u2019t relevant to a high-end fight. It also boasts $4.2 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative, an increase of $360 million, with new funds to help Ukraine repel a Russian invasion<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., hailed the forward-leaning investments and said he supports the Pentagon\u2019s \u201cefforts to achieve billions of dollars in savings by offloading unnecessary equipment and programs.\u201d Still, Reed called the request, \u201can outline and a starting point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon\u2019s No. 2 civilian, signaled that the Pentagon will work with Congress on some sort of increase for inflation. She said neither the recently passed defense budget for fiscal 2022 nor the new submission for 2023 fully account for the inflation\u2019s effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo we\u2019ll be working with Congress through the summer on how this year lands … and how inflation ends up affecting our service members,\u201d Hicks told reporters. \u201cWe built into this \u201823 budget the best information that we had at the time. As in any year, we\u2019re going to be working that as we get closer to the reality, and even in execution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t