WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Rick Scott, Roger Wicker, Tom Cotton and John Cornyn introduced a resolution condemning President Biden’s inadequate defense spending proposal and urging the administration to work with Congress to ensure that the U.S. military has every resource needed to protect national security and our allies from increased threats around the world. U.S. military readiness was diminished by budget cuts and the sequester under President Obama. Now, President Biden’s proposed budget request includes a mere 1.7% increase in defense spending – which doesn’t even keep up with inflation, let alone provide for the nation’s defense.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Florida has 20 military bases and three unified commands, more than almost any other state. We know how important our military readiness is to our national security. President Biden’s weak and inadequate defense spending proposal is dangerous and weakens our standing on the global stage, especially as our greatest adversary, Communist China, has increased its defense spending more than seven-fold over the last decade. We will not stand by and let our military might be diminished. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will always fight for our men and women in uniform, and I’m proud to stand with my colleagues today to do everything possible to protect and serve the families of our nation.”

Senator Roger Wicker said, “There is no doubt President Biden’s defense budget is woefully inadequate. At a time when our foreign adversaries are expanding their militaries, the United States needs to be putting serious money toward defense to maintain our national security. Congress ultimately holds the power of the purse, and we will see to it that the military receives the resources it needs to stay ahead of our enemies.”

Senator Tom Cotton said, “President Biden’s proposed defense budget will leave the United States unable to compete with our greatest adversaries like China and Russia—who are already profiting from the Biden administration’s weak policies. Instead of using the defense budget to promote things like Critical Race Theory, which tears our military apart, President Biden should focus on providing our troops with the resources needed to defend our nation.”

Senator John Cornyn said, “As military threats posed by China and our other adversaries continue to mount, it's absolutely critical that the United States remain ready to respond. President Biden's latest defense spending proposal would leave our men and women in uniform unprepared and off balance in the face of foreign aggression. I urge his Administration to reconsider and work with Congress to find a bipartisan solution that won't diminish our military readiness.”

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