ANALYSIS โ While the war in Ukraine is a key battleground at the moment, none of us should lose sight of the fact that China is the nation's primary geopolitical and military threat now, and for the next few decades. In fact, Russia's invasion has highlighted the Chinese military threat to an independent Taiwan.
Sadly, despite the Pentagon's various statements, they aren't putting their money where their mouth is.
According to an unclassifiedย fact sheetย about the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy that was released in March โ though, Russia, North Korea and Iran are mentioned โ China is declared the Defense Department's primary threat concern.
Itย identifiesย Beijing as โour most consequential strategic competitor and the pacing challenge for the department.โ
And while the language is Biden โbureaucratese' for China being our number one military and political threat, that is exactly what it is.
So why doesn't Biden's defense budget reflect this grave concern?
Instead, the Biden Pentagon's 2023 budget request for the region appears much lower than Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) officials said they needed in a March 2022 reportย to Congress.
Defense Oneย reportsย that:
Last year, Congressย directedย Indo-Pacific Command to conduct an independent analysis of its funding requirements for 2023. In the โSeize the Initiativeโย report, officials said they need nearly $9.1 billion for 2023, and almost $67 billion between 2024 and 2027, according to an unclassified copy of the report shared withย Defense One.
The Pentagon's proposed Pacific Deterrence Initiative funding for 2023, however, is only $6.1 billion, according to an April 2022 comptrollerย documentย shared withย Defense One.ย
โWe've seen this for a couple years, where DOD seems to be adjusting what INDOPACOM has identified as its requirements and ultimately we defer to the commanders on the ground,โ a congressional staffer said. โWe have members who are saying, for appropriations this year, we need to give INDOPACOM everything it's asking for.โ
Defense One adds:
โฆthe Pacific Deterrence Initiative and Indo-Pacific Command's report include similar tables that break down funding priorities in the region but have drastically different numbers.ย
For example, Indo-Pacific Command asked for $7.1 billion in 2023 to โmodernize and strengthen presenceโ in the region. That same line item for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative for a โmodernized and strengthened presenceโ is just $1.8 billion. Under a budget line to โimprove capabilities available to USINDOPACOM,โ the combatant command asks for $110 million, while the Pacific Deterrence Initiative requests just $25 million.ย
Well, more than a dozen lawmakers are asking why, and asking leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to boost funding for INDOPACOM to reflect the real threat from Chinaย and meet the Commander's request.
Inย a letter, obtained by Defense One, and signed by 10 Republicans and five Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee, including Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), the lawmakers wrote that:
โAdmiral [John] Aquilino [INDOPACOM Commander] clearly outlined to Congress what he needs to deter [Chinese Community Party] aggression in the Indo-Pacific, and any attempt to shortchange his request will not only undermine our ability to defend Taiwan, but will also be met with strong, bipartisan opposition in Congress.โย
โThe crisis in Ukraine underscores the need to act with urgency when it comes to defending Taiwan,โ said Rep. Michael Gallagher (R-Wis.) who ledย theย letter.
Indeed, we should be giving INDOPACOM everything it needs and more. China should be our number one defense priority.
READ NEXT: Biden's Hollow Defense Budget >>
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions ofย American Liberty News.
1 Comment
…What enemy??
The CCP, Wall Street, The US โญhamber Of โญommerce and โญorporate Ameriโญa bribed โญongress to write the laws that made it legal to screw over America and allow the greatest transfer of jobs, wealth and intellectual property in modern history to an avowed enemy, Communist China, making them the threat they are today!
โญongress and โญorporate America are the real enemy!
…And of course the MIC, DOD and Joint โญhief’s are OK with this. They just got trillions to pretend to fight an enemy thatย โญongress and โญorporate Americaย created!