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President Joe Biden is calling for a 4.6% increase in pay for active-duty military personnel and Department of Defense civilians in his budget request for next year.
His proposal also calls for major increases in shipbuilding and Navy operating and maintenance work, both of which are motors of the Hampton Roads economy.
All in all, the budget calls for total spending on military programs of $773 billion. That’s up from the $728 billion that the House and Senate agreed to appropriate for fiscal 2022. It does not include Department of Energy spending on national security programs.
“The Budget invests in America’s service members and civilian workforce with robust 4.6 percent pay raises — the largest in a generation — and addresses economic insecurity by funding a newly authorized basic needs allowance,” the White House budget document says.
Biden’s proposal says it “continues the recapitalization of the Nation’s strategic ballistic missile submarine fleet while also investing in the submarine industrial base.”
Newport News Shipbuilding is teamed up with General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard building the new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
The budget proposal calls for increasing spending on this program from $3.8 billion this year to $4.7 billion next year.
In all, it calls for a $2.4 billion increase in the Navy’s shipbuilding spending, to $25.2 billion. Nearly $1 billion of the increase is for amphibious ships, more than $250 million is for auxiliaries and similar craft and the rest is for other warships, including $7.3 billion for two of the Virginia-class submarines the Newport News-Electric Boat partnership builds as well as two Arleigh Burke class destroyers for $5.6 billion one new frigate, for $1.3 billion.
The budget proposal also calls for a $7 billion increase in Navy operating and maintenance spending, to $71.2 billion. Maintenance and repair delays have been a major concern for the Navy and for Congress in recent years.
“To sustain and strengthen deterrence, the Budget prioritizes China as the Department’s pacing challenge,” the White House’s appendix document on DoD spending says.
“We are requesting nearly $56.5 billion for air power platforms and systems; more than $40.8 billion for sea power, to include nine more battle force ships, and nearly $12.6 billion to modernize Army and Marine Corps fighting vehicles,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.
He said the $130.1 billion sought for research and development is an all-time high.
“Importantly, this budget funds modernization of all three legs of the nuclear triad,” he said.
In addition, it includes $479 million to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault, and more funds for affordable child care for both the military and civilian workforce, including an increase in the child care fee assistance for both military personnel and DoD civilians, he said. The budget also sets $34 million to improve DoD’s efforts to deter, detect and address extremism in the ranks.
Biden’s overall $5.8 trillion budget proposal also calls for $238 million for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts over the next three years and a first-ever dedicated funding stream for Veterans Administration health care services. It includings funding for the long-planned new VA outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads.
It provides $682 million in aid for Ukraine “to continue to counter Russian malign influence and to meet emerging needs related to security, energy, cyber security issues, disinformation, macroeconomic stabilization, and civil society resilience. That’s up from the $300 million in fiscal 2022′s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.”
“President Biden’s proposed budget doubles down on the administration’s efforts to strengthen relationships with our allies and continue to support Ukraine,” said Sen. Mark Warner, adding that increased spending for DoD and the new VA outpatient clinic are important for Virginia.
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But Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, the most senior Republican on the House Seapower subcommittee said the Biden administration’s requested defense budget “does not reflect the threats facing our nation, the enormously damaging impacts of inflation on the purchasing power of the US military, or an investment in the ships, aircraft, vehicles, and additional capabilities that our servicemembers must use today.”
Biden is proposing higher taxes on businesses and a new wealth tax on households worth more than $100 million. Those households would have to pay a minimum tax of 20% on their income and on unrealized gains in stock and bond holdings.
His budget also calls for a 7% boost, to $1.6 trillion, for a range of his domestic priorities, including affordable housing, gun violence prevention and investments to ease supply chain strains.
“Budgets are statements of values, and the budget I am releasing today sends a clear message that we value fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and around the world, and the investments needed to continue our equitable growth and build a better America,” Biden said in a statement.
It is actually up to Congress to write a budget; the agreement the House and Senate just reached for fiscal 2022 boosted spending by nearly $22.4 billion over Biden’s proposed budget, including $4 billion more for shipbuilding than the Biden Administration requested.
Wire services contributed to this report.
Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com