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In addition to the budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, Brown and Austin also spoke in favor of approving a nearly $60 billion supplemental budget request for fiscal year 2024.
That request, which the Senate approved in February but has yet to be passed by the House, would provide aid to our partners in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — as well as investing in America’s industrial base, according to Austin.
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Brown said passing the supplemental budget request would show leadership on behalf of the U.S.
“I’ve been in this job six months and I’ve had about 150 engagements with my counterparts from around the world, and they often talk about U.S. leadership,” said Brown. “I can tell you it’s watched, it’s desired [and it’s] sending a message of where our commitments are.”
One such commitment proposed in the fiscal year 2025 defense budget is the allotment of $9.9 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which is a program aimed at addressing the pacing challenge presented by China’s government.
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Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Author: Matthew Olay, DOD News
Format: Article
China Policy Research 