Biden's $6.9T budget seeks increased spending for Pentagon

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden is seeking $842 billion for the Department of Defense in its fiscal 2024 budget, up from the $773 billion sought in the previous fiscal year.

“The budget prioritizes resources for critical investments enabling the department to continue implementation of the National Defense Strategy, including building the right mix of capabilities to defending against current and future threats,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

The request was part of the $6.9 trillion budget that Biden unveiled Thursday to fund the federal government during the next fiscal year.

The budget request for the Defense Department provides the resources necessary to “address the pacing challenge from the People’s Republic of China, address advanced and persistent threats, accelerate innovation and modernization, and ensure operational resiliency amidst our changing climate,” Austin said.

Hailing the budget as “the largest military pay raise in over 20 years,” he said it provides “critical resources to promote the continued strength of our alliances and partnerships while strengthening our partnerships across America and unity within the Department of Defense.”

“As the Secretary of Defense, my priority is defending America, and ensuring that our forces are ready, resilient and remain the world’s preeminent fighting force. I look forward to working with Congress to support the President’s request,” he said.

The Department of Defense will release the details of the budget request on March 13, the statement noted. ​​​​​​​