WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration released its Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) defense budget request.

“The United States, along with our allies and partners, faces a range of challenges both enduring and emerging, to our national security and President Biden’s FY23 defense budget reflects his administration’s efforts to meet those challenges. This budget request invests in science and technology research and development, alliances and partnerships, our men and women in uniform, and a range of other tools designed to keep our country safe and competitive.

“This budget maintains that deterring the Chinese military from aggressive activity in the Indo-Pacific region is the Department of Defense’s ‘pacing challenge.’ The United States must sustain a strong military deterrent so that Beijing chooses a peaceful path. I look forward to learning more from the Department’s leadership about how the investments in the FY23 defense budget proposal would sustain our military deterrent effectively and efficiently.

“The proposed FY23 defense budget from President Biden also takes into account two pressing challenges: the acute threat posed by Russia and the real cost of inflation for our military. The budget continues our strong support for Ukraine while also reassuring our NATO allies. When it comes to the effects of inflation, the President’s budget proposal includes additional funding to support the Department’s purchasing power and meet the unique challenges posed by inflation for our national security. Inflationary pressures affect different industries and goods in different ways, and the unique needs of the Department and U.S. military reflect that reality.

“We should not settle for a debate over how much money to allocate to the Department – focusing on the dollar amount alone misses the point entirely. Instead, we owe the American people a debate over how the Department spends resources to address our most significant national security challenges. I look forward to bipartisan discussions with the Department’s senior leadership about how this budget addresses the greatest threats to our defense, prioritizes efficiency and agility, aligns with key strategic planning documents like the new National Defense Strategy, and supports our service members and their families – who are the heart and soul of our national security enterprise.”

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