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“Over the past decade, China’s defense spending has increased by $200 billion while America’s decreased by $400 billion. China’s military investments match its desire to out-compete America and hold our military forces at risk,” they wrote. “President Biden’s defense spending cut doesn’t even keep up with inflation.”
Biden has proposed a hearty 16 percent increase in nondefense spending by mapping out a $769 billion nondefense budget that represents a $105 billion increase over current levels.
He would increase the defense budget 1.7 percent to $753 billion, an increase of $12.3 billion.
“If President Biden’s support for America’s military matched his zeal for spending at home, China would get nowhere close to overtaking us,” the Republican senators wrote. “President Biden’s budget proposal cuts defense spending, sending a terrible signal not only to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow, but also to our allies and partners.”
Biden’s first budget request as president calls for raising annual discretionary spending to $1.52 trillion. That amount includes a 15.7 percent increase in domestic spending and a 1.7 percent boost in defense.
Although the spending plan omitted details on taxes and mandatory spending programs, as well as the usual 10-year projection for spending and revenues, it nonetheless offers valuable insights into Biden’s priorities.
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Austerity is out, big government is in
Biden’s budget affirmed his embrace of government spending and comes on the heels of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, a proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure package and subsequent $2 trillion measure focused on issues like child care and college tuition.
Demand Justice, an advocacy group led by a former top aide to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer
The group launched its effort Friday and wants Breyer, 82, to step down so that President Biden
“We are now firmly in the window when past justices have announced their retirement, so it s officially worrisome that Justice Breyer has not said yet that he will step down. The only responsible choice for Justice Breyer is to immediately announce his retirement so President Biden can quickly nominate the first-ever Black woman Supreme Court justice,” said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice and a former top aide to Schumer.
WASHINGTON
A senior staffer to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) signaled Tuesday that the senator would support circumventing the long-standing filibuster rule to enact a voting rights bill with only 50 votes in the Senate.
Feinstein “believes that the leadership of the Senate will come up with a path that allows this bill to go forward with 50 Democratic votes,” her state director Jim Lazarus told a San Francisco group from the liberal activist group Indivisible, according to a video of his comments. She “will make this the No. 1 bill that has to get through over the next month or two.”
The idea of eliminating the filibuster or making it harder to do has gained momentum among Senate Democrats concerned Republicans would use the tool to block all of President Biden’s agenda.
Capitol Confidential By Edward McKinley on April 7, 2021 at 6:30 AM
It’s a done deal. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Assembly and Senate (finally) reached a three-way agreement over how to spend the state’s money over the next year. The plan includes $212 billion in spending. (TU)
New York’s cannabis legalization law contains a provision to expunge certain convictions for marijuana-related offenses, and the state Office of Court Administration said the measure is expected to wipe out criminal records for potentially tens of thousands of people including 19 individuals who are currently serving state prison terms. (TU)
Here’s the rest of your roundup: