‘EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE’: The Biden Pentagon’s proposed defense budget is headed to certain debate on Capitol Hill over the top line of $840 billion, but the bottom line is the fiscal year 2024 spending plan has placed one target dead center: China. Every trade-off in the budget is aimed at leveraging technology and firepower to deter Chinese President Xi Jinping from invading Taiwan and defeating China if it does.
“Our greatest measure of success and the one we use around here most often is to make sure the PRC leadership wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression and concludes today is not the day,” said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks at yesterday’s budget rollout. “So first and foremost, this budget is a procurement budget. It puts its thumb on the scale in favor of game-changing capabilities that will deliver not just in the out years, but in the near term, too,”
