In Debt-Limit Fight, Biden Scores a Win on Defense Spending
- Abandon build-up, accept smaller Biden defense increase
- Biden requested $842 billion for the Pentagon in fiscal 2024
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Republican debt-limit negotiators are setting aside demands for large increases in defense spending and instead settling for a smaller increase President Joe Biden sought in his budget proposal, people familiar with the talks said.
The emerging consensus on a defense number marks a significant victory for Democrats, who have been trying to bat back Republican efforts to augment Biden’s proposed $886.3 billion proposal for national security next year, which is already a 3.3% increase over current levels.