Support for Cuts to Weapons Programs in President Biden's FY2023 Defense Budget Request

Last updated June 22, 2022

Introduction

On March 28, 2022, President Joe Biden released his budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. This proposal outlines the amount of funding the Administration believes the various federal agencies should receive for the fiscal year. The president’s budget proposal reflects the president’s spending priorities. Ultimately, Congress can adopt or amend the president’s proposed spending levels through the annual appropriations process.

The Biden Administration’s FY2023 defense budget request called for $813 billion, a $31 billion increase from FY2022. It is higher than former President Trump’s proposal and more than what the U.S. spent on defense at the peak of the wars in Vietnam and Korea, as well as the Cold War. 

During the closed door markup of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on June 16, 2022, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) added an exorbitant $45 billion to President Biden’s proposal, for a suggested topline of $847 billion. The NDAA still needs to be considered by the full Senate, and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is expected to consider the legislation on June 22, 2022. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) stated that he will introduce an amendment in the HASC markup to increase the defense topline by $37 billion, which, if adopted, would bring the HASC topline to $850 billion. 

One factor in endlessly increasing Pentagon toplines is the failure to phase out unnecessary weapons systems. In its FY2023 budget request, the Biden Administration proposed meaningful cuts to certain outdated and wasteful weapons programs. These proposed cuts are outlined below.

Read our full explainer below for more: