‘THE WORLD HAS CHANGED’: Facing new threats from a revanchist Russia and a rising China, President Joe Biden has proposed a record $813 billion defense budget for the next fiscal year that boosts Pentagon spending by $30 billion (a 4% increase), includes the biggest pay raise for the military and civilian DOD workers in 20 years (4.6%), and invests heavily in new technologies, such as hypersonic missiles and robot systems.
“This will be among the largest investments in our national security in history,” said Biden as he unveiled his budget request and sent it to Congress along with a classified version of his new National Security Strategy. “Some people don’t like the increase, but we’re in a different world today,” he said. “America is more prosperous, more successful, and more just when it is more secure.”
The Pentagon’s slice of the $813 billion comes to $773 billion, which — while 4% higher than this year’s $742 billion authorized level — is only a 2% increase when you add in the $14 billion Congress added to defense spending to relocate Afghan refugees and send aid to Ukraine. And if you adjust for inflation, the increase is a more modest 1.5%.
| BY THE NUMBERS: (billions) | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 22 to 23 |
| Department of Defense | $704.7 | $756.6 | $773 | +2.17% |
| Department of Energy | $27.5 | $29.1 | $29.7 | +2.06% |
| Other defense activities | $9.5 | $10.4 | $10.6 | +1.92% |
| Total defense budget | $741.7 | $796.1 | $813.3 | +2.16% |
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS $813 BILLION BUDGET FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE
INHOFE: ‘FALLS SHORT’: “Preserving the peace requires serious investment — and the President’s defense budget falls short,” said Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, in a statement.
“The Pentagon’s inflation assumptions for 2023 are almost certainly low, nor does the budget make up for current record inflation rates,” Inhofe said. “Real growth — 5% above inflation — is what we need if we are to meet this moment. The Chinese Communist Party understands hard power — that’s why they announced a 7.1% defense budget increase this year, continuing their unprecedented military modernization and increasingly aggressive behavior.”
Inhofe’s House counterpart, Alabama Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, also cited the growing military strength of China as a reason to boost defense spending by another 5%.
“China now has the largest army and navy in the world, and they are rapidly expanding their nuclear arsenal,” Rogers said. “It is no secret that Xi has his sights set on Taiwan, and I worry that if we don’t act to deter them now that it will be too late to stop the CCP’s warpath to hegemony.”
“Unfortunately, President Biden’s FY23 budget has proven to be once again wholly inadequate,” Rogers said, pledging he would “continue to fight to ensure that Congress once again gives our military the funding increase they need.”
GOP LAWMAKERS LIKE DEFENSE SPENDING IN BIDEN BUDGET, ARE WARY OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS
REED: ‘AN OUTLINE, A STARTING POINT’: Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Armed Services Committee, reminded everyone that the White House proposal is essentially a wish list. It is Congress, not the president, who decides how and how much money is spent on defense.
“The President’s Defense Department budget request is an outline and a starting point. In the coming weeks, the Armed Services Committee will hold in-depth, bipartisan hearings on the budget request,” said Reed. “Congress must make thoughtful decisions about how we resource and transform our tools of national power. Now that President Biden has issued his budget request, the Committee can begin our work of crafting an NDAA that meets America’s needs now and in the future.”
SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM BIDEN’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
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HAPPENING TODAY: President Joe Biden meets with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at 10:45 a.m. “to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Singapore Strategic Partnership and deepen cooperation on a range of shared interests, including a free, prosperous, and open Indo-Pacific,” according to the White House.
The two leaders will make a joint statement in the White House East Room following their meeting at 12:45 p.m.
Lee was at the Pentagon yesterday, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomed him with warm words, calling Singapore one of America’s “most valued defense partners,” and thanking Singapore for its “strong statements and actions opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
“Singapore’s support for U.S. forces is an anchor of America’s presence in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said.
ALSO TODAY: As Russia intensifies its bombardment of Kyiv, and negotiations aimed at finding a way to end the war in Ukraine, NATO’s top commander testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, commander, U.S. European Command, and Supreme NATO Commander Europe, appears along with Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command, at 9:30 a.m.
US SENDS JAMMERS TO EASTERN FLANK: At the request of Wolters, six U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic jamming aircraft are deploying from Washington state to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
“The modified F-18 are equipped for a variety of missions,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. “But they do specialize in flying electronic warfare missions, using a suite of jamming sensors to confuse enemy radars, greatly aiding in the ability to conduct suppression of enemy air defense operations.”
While the planes will fly from Germany over NATO countries bordering Ukraine, the planes will not be jamming Russian air defenses, Kirby said. “They are not being deployed to be used against Russian forces in Ukraine,” he insisted. “They are being deployed completely in keeping with our efforts to bolster NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities along that eastern flank.”
PENTAGON IS DEPLOYING SIX AIRCRAFT TO GERMANY AMID RUSSIAN INVASION
BIDEN’S MOONWALK ON PUTIN: Like Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk, it was hard to tell which way Biden was going yesterday when he insisted he was not walking back his quote heard around the world over the weekend, when he blurted out, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m not walking anything back,” Biden said during his budget press conference yesterday. “The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing, and the actions of this man, just, just the brutality of it.”
“But I want to make it clear: I wasn’t then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it,” Biden said, insisting his unscripted remark did not complicate diplomatic efforts to find a way to end Russia’s onslaught.
“No, I don’t think it does,” Biden said. “What complicates the situation at the moment is the escalatory efforts of Putin to continue to engage in carnage — the kind of behavior that makes the whole world say, ‘My God, what is this man doing?’ That’s what complicates things a great deal.”
BIDEN: ‘I’M NOT WALKING ANYTHING BACK’ ON WHETHER PUTIN SHOULD BE IN POWER
MCCAUL: ‘I UNDERSTAND THE MORAL OUTRAGE’: Texas Republican Mike McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, just back from a trip to Poland, said he gets what Biden was saying.
“I went down to the border, the Ukraine border, Poland, saw the refugees. I understand the moral outrage that the president must have felt in his emotions when he made that comment,” McCaul said on CNN. “But it seems like every time he goes off script, he causes some international incident here.”
“You know, when they say they don’t want to be provocative by bringing in MiG jets, but he makes comments like these, particularly as the negotiations we think are going to take place in the next couple of days, I don’t think it was very helpful.”
LEON PANETTA: BIDEN’S CALL FOR PUTIN’S OUSTER ‘WASN’T HELPFUL’
A-10 UNDER ATTACK, AGAIN: For years, the Air Force has been trying to retire its fleet of 1970s-era A-10 ground attack planes, affectionately known as the Warthog. But the plane, with its reputation as the best close air support platform ever built, has always been rescued by the A-10 lobby in Congress
Some of the fiercest defenders of the A-10 are former military officers who benefited from the A-10s ability to shred heavy armor with its depleted uranium munitions and ability to fly low and slow over targets.
In the Air Force budget this year is yet another plan to retire the venerable plane and replace it over the next six years with F-16s. The current plan was to retire about half the fleet but put new wings on the other half and keep them in service.
Congress will have the last word.
NAVY WANTS TO SCUTTLE TWO DOZEN SHIPS: In yesterday’s budget briefing, the Navy announced plans to decommission 24 ships in a plan designed to save $3.6 billion over five years.
Among the ships that are seen as no longer delivering enough bang for the buck are nine Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships, or LCS, which have earned the ignominious moniker “Little Crappy Ship.”
In addition, the Navy wants to retire five Ticonderoga-class cruisers, two Los Angeles-class submarines, four Landing Dock Ships, two oilers, and two Expeditionary Transfer Docks.
WHERE THE BILLIONS ARE GOING: Here’s where some of the money in the Pentagon’s budget request would be spent:
- R&D: $276 billion for procurement and research and development (largest in history)
- Airpower: $56.5 billion for 61 F-35 and 21 F-15EX fighter jets; the B-21 bomber, mobility aircraft, KC46A tankers; specialized support aircraft; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- Seapower: $40.8 billion for nine battle force fleet ships, two destroyers, one frigate, and two Columbia class ballistic missile submarines
- Land Power: $12.6 billion for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, and the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle
- Nuclear Power: $34.4 billion to rebuild the nuclear triad
RUSSIA’S STRUGGLES MAY DETER CHINA IN TAIWAN, TOP GOP LAWMAKER SAYS
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Biden administration unveils $813 billion budget for national defense
Washington Examiner: GOP lawmakers like defense spending in Biden budget, are wary of social programs
Washington Examiner: Six takeaways from Biden’s budget proposal
Washington Examiner: Russian forces have left Chernobyl workers town after weekend seizure: Mayor
Washington Examiner: Russians drove through radioactive Red Forest by Chernobyl with no radioactive gear on
Washington Examiner: Russia reportedly using ISIS-style pickup trucks in Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Wagner Group mercenaries deployed to eastern Ukraine: UK intelligence
Washington Examiner: Ukraine publishes a list of hundreds of ‘Russian FSB officers’
Washington Examiner: Biden: ‘I’m not walking anything back’ on whether Putin should be in power
Washington Examiner: Leon Panetta: Biden’s call for Putin’s ouster ‘wasn’t helpful’
Washington Examiner: Pentagon is deploying six aircraft to Germany amid Russian invasion
Washington Examiner: Bodies of Marines killed in NATO exercise in Norway returned to US
Washington Examiner: Jan. 6 panel recommends holding two Trump aides in contempt of Congress
Washington Examiner: Russia’s struggles may deter China in Taiwan, top GOP lawmaker says
Bloomberg: Air Force Still Wants 1,763 F-35 Jets Despite Cutting Back Next Year
Air Force Magazine: Air Force Would Reduce Fleet by 250 Old Aircraft, Bring on 82-plus New Ones
Air Force Magazine: Missile Warning, Resiliency, and More Transfers Boost the Space Force’s 2023 Budget Prospects by a Lot
Defense News: U.S. Navy Seeks To End San Antonio-Class Ship Production, Reducing Fleet By 8 Amphibious Hulls
Marine Corps Times: Marines Will Have To Wait At Least Until 2025 For Light Amphibious Warship
Washington Post: Pentagon Budget Plan Unrealistic, Critics Say
Washington Post: Ukraine Claws Back Territory In North
New York Times: Risk Of Putin Striking NATO Supply Lines To Ukraine Is Low
19fortyfive.com: Ukraine Has Captured 118 Tanks from Russia
Bloomberg: NATO Allies Are Split On Whether They Should Talk To Putin
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: How to Respond to North Korea’s ICBM Test
19fortyfive.com: Russia’s New Strategy to Conquer Kyiv: Starve the Population Into Surrender?
19fortyfive.com: Russia’s New Military Strategy for Ukraine: Conquer Mariupol?
Forbes: Opinion: Air Force Confirms It Plans To Slash F-35 Buy In 2023—But Can’t Explain Why
Seattle Times: Opinion: Adam Smith: U.S. and China at a Crossroads
The Cipher Brief: Opinion: In Cyber: Resilience is about Capabilities, not Plans
The Cipher Brief: Opinion: The Cruelty of Half Measures in Ukraine
Calendar
TUESDAY | MARCH 29
8:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion with Baltic presidents on “the implications of the Russian-initiated war in Ukraine on European security and NATO’s adaptation,” Estonia President Alar Karis; Latvian President Egils Levits; and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
9 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. — Heritage Foundation discussion on “Putin’s War and the Threat from Communist China,” with Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. https://www.heritage.org/asia/event/putins-war
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The posture of U.S. European Command and U.S. Transportation Command,” with Gen. Tod Wolters, commander, U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe; and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m. 210 Cannon — House Budget Committee hearing: “President Biden’s FY2023 Budget,” with testimony Shalanda Young, acting director Office of Management and Budget https://www.youtube.com/watch
10 a.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies virtual discussion: “Confronting Russian Cyber Censorship,” with Andrei Soldatov, co-founder and editor of Agentura.ru; Olga Irisova, editor-in-chief at Riddle; Alena Epifanova, research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations; and Sergey Parkhomenko, senior adviser and journalist at Echo of Moscow Radio https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event
10:30 a.m. — “Institute of World Politics virtual discussion: “Russia’s War on Ukraine,” with David Satter, former Moscow correspondent at the Financial Times of London https://www.iwp.edu/events/webinar-russias-war-on-ukraine/
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: :”Russia’s Crackdown on Independent Media and Access to Information Online,” with Daniel Baer, acting director at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’ Europe Program; and Maria Snegovaya, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for New American Security https://www.csis.org/events/russias-crackdown-independent-media
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual event, “Thinking About the Unthinkable in Ukraine: Could Putin Use Weapons of Mass Destruction?” with David Asher, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Hudson Institute; Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; William Schneider, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Kenneth Weinstein, distinguished fellow, Hudson Institute https://www.hudson.org/events
2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing on “Putin’s War on Truth: Propaganda and Censorship in Russia,” with Fatima Tlis, journalist at Voice of America; Peter Pomerantsev, senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University’s Agora Institute; Vladimir Kara-Murza, former host at Echo of Moscow radio; and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., commission chairman
3 p.m. — Washington Post Live online discussion with the European Union’s Ambassador to the United States Stavros Lambrinidis, https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/
3:30 p.m. 418 Russell — Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing: “Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021,” with http://veterans.senate.gov
WEDNESDAY | MARCH 30
8:45 a.m. 137 National Plaza — DSI Group Information Warfare Symposium with John Costello, chief of staff at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director; and Rear Adm. Jeffrey Scheidt, senior military advisor for cyber policy in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense https://informationwarfare.dsigroup.org/
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The North Korean Missile Threat,” with Markus Garlauskas, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security; Sue Mi Terry, director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy, Wilson Center; and Ankit Panda, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Nuclear Policy Program https://www.csis.org/events/north-korean-missile-threat
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “National Security Challenges in Europe,” with testimony from Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, commander, U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace online event: Carnegie Connects: A Conversation on the War in Ukraine,” with CNN’s senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward http://carnegieendowment.org
10:30 a.m. — House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “Military Privatized Family Housing Oversight,” with http://appropriations.house.gov
11 a.m. 608 Dirksen — Senate Budget Committee hearing: “The President’s FY2023 Budget Proposal,” with testimony Shalanda Young, acting director Office of Management and Budget http://budget.senate.gov
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army book webinar: Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran, and the Rise of Irregular Warfare, with book author Seth Jones https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/oon-Report
1 p.m. — The Hill virtual summit: “Future of Defense,” with House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.; House Armed Services ranking member Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; Deborah Rosenblum, assistant Defense secretary for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs; Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Army Secretary Christine Wormuth; former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky; Wesley Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles and Defense; and Steve Clemons, editor-at-large of The Hill https://thehill.com/event/598442-future-of-defense-summit
1 p.m. — Air Force Association virtual conversation: “Air and Space Warfighters in Action” with Lt. Gen. David Nahom, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs; Lt. Gen. William Liquori, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, requirements, and analysis; and retired Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright, AFA president https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing: “Patient Safety and Quality of Care in the Military Health System,” with testimony from: Dez Del Barba, U.S. Army Veteran; Derrick Luckey, father of Seaman Danyelle Luckey; Sharon Silas, director, GAO Health Care Team; Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, director, Defense Health Agency; Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, Army surgeon general; Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, Navy surgeon general; and Lt. Gen. Robert I. Miller, Air Force surgeon general https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
4:30 p.m. — Institute of World Politics virtual discussion: “North Korea: The Continuous and Growing Threat,” with John Sano, former deputy director of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-korea
THURSDAY | MARCH 31
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces hearing: “Updates on Modernization of Conventional Ammunition Production,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology; Army Gen. Edward Daly, commanding general, Army Materiel Command; Army Brig. Gen. William Boruff, program executive officer, Joint Program Executive Office, Armaments and Ammunition; Army Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command; Jason Gaines, senior vice president and general manager, munition systems, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems; retired Army Brig. Gen. John McGuiness, president, American Ordnance, LLC; Brian Gathright, vice president and general manager, BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc; and Brett Flaugher, president, Olin-Winchester https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces and Readiness Joint hearing: “Posture and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise,” with testimony from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command; and Lucinda Lessley, acting administrator, Maritime Administration https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Implications for Cybersecurity in Western-Chinese Technology Decoupling,” with former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis Blair; and Arthur Coviello, former president and CEO of RSA Security https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch
10 a.m. — House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on “Helping Veterans Thrive: The Importance of Peer Support in Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism,” with https://www.youtube.com/channel
7 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “North Korea’s ‘Checkerboard’ Threat: Obstacles and Opportunities for the U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance,” with retired Gen. Vincent Brooks, chairman of the Korea Defense Veterans Association; retired South Korea Gen. Ho-Young Leem, ROK vice chairman at KDVA; former ROK Army Lt. Gen. In-Bum Chun; Clint Work, fellow at 38 North; Natalia Slavney, research associate at 38 North; and Jenny Town, director at 38 North https://www.stimson.org/event/north-koreas-checkerboard-threat
FRIDAY | APRIL 1
9 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for Black Sea Security,” with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove, chair at the Frontier Europe Initiative; Iulia Joja, director at the Frontier Europe Initiative; Mamuka Tsereteli, nonresident scholar at the Frontier Europe Initiative; and Gonul Tol, director of the MEI Turkey Program https://www.mei.edu/events/russias-invasion-ukraine
10 a.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “A View From Kyiv,” with former Ukrainian Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Minister Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittees on Intelligence and Special Operations hearing: “FY23 hearing to Review Department of Defense Strategy, Policy, and Programs for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction,” with testimony from John Plumb, assistant secretary for space policy; Deborah Rosenblum, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs; Vice Adm. Collin Patrick Green, deputy commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Rhys Williams, acting director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
10:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion, 10:30 a.m., on “Protecting the global marine transportation system against cyber threats,” sith Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; and Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/protecting-the-global-marine-transportation-system
1 p.m. Tampa Convention Center — U.S. Central Command “change of command” ceremony as Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie turns over command to Army Gen. Erik Kurilla. https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/28237
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’m not walking anything back. The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the way Putin is dealing, and the actions of this man, just the brutality of it … but I want to make it clear: I wasn’t then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change. I was expressing the moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it.”
President Joe Biden defending his off-the-cuff statement in Warsaw that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
