Interior Alaska News

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the International Republican Institute, has voiced concerns regarding President Biden's proposed defense budget for Fiscal Year 2025. In his statement, Senator Sullivan criticized the administration's approach to defense spending.

Sullivan expressed alarm over what he perceives as a decline in U.S. military readiness amid growing global tensions. He stated that "since President Biden assumed office, global chaos has spread, with the dictators from Russia, China, and Iran acting with greater impunity." He highlighted that each year under President Biden's leadership has seen inflation-adjusted reductions in defense budgets.

According to Sullivan, this latest budget proposal risks lowering U.S. defense spending to less than three percent of GDP for only the fourth time since World War II. He argued that such a reduction could have significant implications for national security.

The senator also accused the administration of employing "budget gimmicks and accounting tricks" to exceed spending caps on non-defense programs while cutting funds from critical areas like the Missile Defense Agency and submarine fleet. Additionally, he noted cuts in new orders for fighter jets such as F-35s.

Sullivan further criticized allocations towards initiatives he views as unrelated to military effectiveness: "Meanwhile, he's funding more than one hundred million dollars to cater to his far-left base—including a diversity, equity, and inclusion office in the Pentagon that has nothing to do with winning wars and lethality."

He concluded by urging a reassessment of these proposals: "If there ever was a time for this White House to reverse course on these weak defense proposals and deter global aggression, it is now." Sullivan called for a budget that strengthens military readiness against global threats.