When Afghan war ends, House proves a bump of 24 billion. Dollars for the Pentagon budget

Just after the US military’s desolate Afghanistan mission was coming to an end, domestic lawmakers marked nearly $ 24 billion in additional defense spending allegedly needed to maintain America’s competitive advantage over Russia and China.

The House Armed Services Committee held a marathon meeting on Wednesday to mark spending under the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Lawmakers from both parties agreed to defy President Joe Biden’s intention to keep the Pentagon’s budget of $ 715 billion for next year, which would essentially keep it at the same level as last year. Instead, an extra $ 23.9 billion was put into procurement, research and other areas.

The economic boost was proposed by rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the ranked Republican member of the committee, who welcome the passage of his proposal as a snub to Biden from his own party.

“The bipartisan adoption of my amendment sends a clear signal: the President’s budget proposal was completely inadequate to keep up with a growing China and a resurgent Russia," he said.

“I hope this two-part, and now bicameral, move is understood by the Biden-Harris administration," added the Republican legislature, citing last month’s evidence of a similar increase in defense spending from the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The increase in top-line spending to $ 740 billion was passed against objections from the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith of Washington. The Democrat claimed the extra money would prevent the Pentagon from curbing waste.

Let me be clear: I oppose efforts to raise the defense budget to the top line by $ 23.9 billion. I stand by President Biden’s first proposal. 23.9 billion Dollars extra will not make us more secure. My thoughts - # FY22NDAA: pic.twitter.com/Xzzkq9FP9t

- Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) September 1, 2021

DoD must “Do a better job of acquisition and procurement, do a better job of predicting what the threats are now compared to what they were 30 years ago," he said.

If we give them another $ 23.9 billion, it will take the pressure off. It makes it easier for them to just keep doing what they have done.

Fourteen Democrats broke party lines to vote with the GOP on Rogers' change, securing passage 42-17. The spectators across represent districts that are dependent on military spending or have even served in the military. Provided the House and Senate panels approve the budget increase, the extra funding will go primarily in shipbuilding, research and military construction.

The House marking session took place just after the U.S. Afghanistan mission was formally completed this week. The draw left over $ 6 billion in unspent funds in Pentagon coffers, which were previously allocated to the now disbanded Afghan security forces. These included about $ 600 million spent unused since fiscal year 2020, $ 2.3 billion from the current year and $ 3.3 billion requested for fiscal year 2020, and the proof in June.

Afghanistan was prominent on the floor, with some of the proposed changes aimed at things like banning US funding of the Taliban and demanding quarterly briefings from the Biden administration on the national security situation. There were also some quarrels over Republican attempts to hold the Democratic president accountable for the humiliating hasty and chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan. President Smith fired back at such votes, arguing for it “If we honestly want to look at Afghanistan, we have to look at all 20 years."

The two parties may face blame for Afghanistan exits and other visible foreign policy errors. But the bipartisan consensus on classifying the Pentagon’s consumer desires is still as strong as ever, despite the department’s notorious inability to pass an audit and explain what the taxpayers get out of it.

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