President Joe Biden has already seen a $1.9 trillion “COVID” relief bill. His $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill is pending.
Now Biden wants to raise federal spending by 8.4% with his $1.5 trillion budget for the 2022 fiscal year.
The $1.5 trillion does not include money or entitlements like Social Security.
So Biden has almost $6 trillion in spending in the first three months of his administration.
Acting White House budget director Shalanda Young sent the budget request to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
“This moment of crisis is also a moment of possibility,” wrote Young. “The upcoming appropriations process is another important opportunity to continue laying a stronger foundation for the future and reversing a legacy of chronic disinvestment in crucial priorities. Together, America has a chance not simply to go back to the way things were before the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn struck, but to begin building a better, stronger, more secure, more inclusive America.”
To the shock of no one, Biden wants to raise climate change funding by $14 billion. He wants $936 million in the name of environmental justice:
Makes the Largest Investment in Environmental Justice in History. To support marginalized and overburdened communities across the Nation, the discretionary request invests more than $1.4 billion, including $936 million toward a new Accelerating Environmental and Economic Justice initiative at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The initiative would create good paying union jobs, clean up pollution, and secure environmental justice for communities that have been left behind. In order to hold polluters accountable, the initiative includes $100 million to develop a new community air quality monitoring and notification program, which would provide real time data in the places with the highest levels of exposure to pollution.
Biden drew heat from Republicans and progressives with the defense portion. He wants to raise it by 1.6% to $715 billion. From the budget request:
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for the military forces needed to deter war and ensure the Nation’s security. The 2022 discretionary request provides the resources to: defend America and deter adversaries while ensuring America is positioned for strategic competition; support America’s servicemembers and their families; repair and leverage alliances and partnerships; preserve America’s technological edge; bolster economic competitiveness; and combat 21st Century security threats such as climate change.The President’s 2022 discretionary request includes $715 billion for DOD. The discretionary request also discontinues requests for Overseas Contingency Operations as a separate funding category, instead funding direct war costs and enduring operations in the DOD base budget, a significant budgetary reform.
The administration claims the raise will help deter China, maintaining Navy ships, long-range fire capabilities, and, of course, promote climate resilience and energy efficiencies. Gotta stick that climate change in there!
Republicans want more money (not surprised) while progressives want less spending (also not surprised):
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said the Pentagon boost is “disappointing” when Biden should return to defense spending levels of the Obama Administration.Another leading progressive voice, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., panned the “unacceptable increase in the Pentagon budget” and said defense spending will have to be cut to get enough Democratic votes to pass the House.”We cannot best build back better if the Pentagon’s budget is larger than it was under Donald Trump,” Pocan said Friday.And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he has “serious concerns” about the “bloated” Pentagon request.”At a time when the U.S. already spends more on the military than the next 12 nations combined, it is time for us to take a serious look at the massive cost over-runs, the waste and fraud that currently exists at the Pentagon,” Sanders, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said Friday.
COVID-19 gave Biden the perfect excuse to raise CDC funds for the first time in 20 years.
The CDC will receive $8.7 billion in the budget “to restore capacity at the world’s preeminent public health agency.” The report claimed:
Building on the investments in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, CDC would use this additional funding to support core public health capacity improvements in States and Territories, modernize public health data collection nationwide, train new epidemiologists and other public health experts, and build international capacity to detect, prepare for, and respond to emerging global threats.
Other public health initiatives include $6.5 billion to launch Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H):
With an initial focus on cancer and other diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s, this major investment in Federal research and development would drive transformational innovation in health research and speed application and implementation of health breakthroughs. This funding is part of a $51 billion request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue to support research that enhances health, lengthens life, and reduces illness and disability.
Ah, yes. Biden needs $2.1 billion “to address the gun violence public health crisis.” That is a raise of $232 million. And for what? Apparently, these things will save us from evil guns:
Investments include $401 million in State and local grants, an increase of $162 million or 68 percent. This level supports existing programs to improve background check systems, and invests in new programs to incentivize State adoption of gun licensing laws and establish voluntary gun buyback pilot programs. In addition, a total of $1.6 billion is provided to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, an increase of $70 million or five percent over 2021 enacted, to oversee the safe sale, storage, and ownership of firearms and to support the agency’s other work to fight violent crime.
Make sure the ATF doesn’t use that money to run guns to Mexico!
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