[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1632. Mr. SCOTT of Florida submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 
1260, to establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in 
the National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub 
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security, 
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to 
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle B of title II of division C, add 
     the following:

     SEC. 3236. SUFFICIENT RESOURCES FOR THE UNITED STATES 
                   MILITARY.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The United States faces numerous national security 
     threats from around the world, including from the People's 
     Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic 
     Republic of Iran, the Democratic Republic of Korea, and 
     international terrorist and crime networks aided by United 
     States enemies, such as the Republic of Cuba and the 
     Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
       (2) The United States is engaged in a new Cold War with the 
     People's Republic of China, which is--
       (A) building up its military to defeat the United States;
       (B) stealing United States intellectual property and jobs;
       (C) harassing neighboring Asian countries and United States 
     allies and partners;
       (D) committing genocide against the Uyghurs; and
       (E) denying basic rights to the people of Hong Kong.
       (3) The People's Republic of China is focused on world 
     domination through oppression and communist rule.
       (4) According to prominent research institutions, including 
     the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the 
     Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Chinese 
     Communist Party has increased its defense spending more than 
     700 percent during the last decade, with an additional 6.8 
     percent increase anticipated in this fiscal year.
       (5) Security and foreign policy experts widely acknowledge 
     that--
       (A) the People's Republic of China is not forthcoming or 
     transparent with information related to military spending; 
     and
       (B) China's military spending may be considerably higher 
     than its reported figures.
       (6) The National Defense Strategy Commission, in its 
     report, Providing for the Common Defense: The Assessment and 
     Recommendation of the States, recommended that ``Congress 
     increase the base defense budget at an average rate of three 
     to five percent above inflation through the Future Years 
     Defense Program and perhaps beyond''.
       (7) When considering the inflation crisis he has created, 
     President Biden's proposed defense budget would represent a 
     cut to spending, despite--
       (A) new and mounting threats to United States national 
     security and to our allies; and
       (B) the need for sufficient military support to deter our 
     enemies and maintain the most lethal fighting force in the 
     world.
       (8) President Biden's proposed budget request includes 
     $715,000,000,000 for the Department of Defense, which is well 
     below the funding needed to keep pace with inflation, while 
     the President's nondefense discretionary spending request is 
     $769,400,000,000, which represents an increase of 15.9 
     percent compared to the current fiscal year.
       (9) In the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2021 Future 
     Years Defense Program, the projected request for the 
     Department of Defense in fiscal year 2022 was targeted at 
     $722,000,000,000, which is $7,000,000,000 higher than 
     President Biden's actual defense budget request for fiscal 
     year 2022.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) President Biden's defense budget--
       (A) does not provide adequate resources to deter or defeat 
     United States enemies;
       (B) does not even keep up with inflation; and
       (C) does not restore our military readiness that was 
     diminished by budget cuts and the sequester under President 
     Barack Obama, which arbitrarily reduced defense spending 
     across the board;
       (2) the lack of sufficient funding will require the 
     Department of Defense to choose between--
       (A) providing for United States servicemembers' 
     compensation and benefits;
       (B) providing for United States forces' modernization and 
     readiness needs; and
       (C) any other priorities that the Biden Administration 
     chooses to pursue;
       (3) President Biden's decision to reduce defense spending--
       (A) harms the United States's long-term strategic 
     competition against the People's Republic of China and other 
     adversaries; and
       (B) weakens our standing on the global stage; and
       (4) the Biden Administration should work with Congress to 
     ensure that the United States military has all the necessary 
     resources to build and sustain the overwhelming military 
     might that the United States expects and deserves.
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