BUDGET/DEFENSE/GOP/MILITARY: “The brewing budget deal on Capitol Hill could get much larger thanks to a late Republican push for a bigger boost in defense spending.
As the spotlight has been on immigration negotiations, lawmakers and aides have been working behind the scenes to hammer out a two-year deal that would not only prevent the budget limits known as the sequester from kicking in, but potentially raise spending beyond that.
While many expected lawmakers to eventually reach an agreement adding $200 billion over two years over sequester levels, that sum would grow if a GOP push to ramp up military spending even more is successful.
Both Republicans and Democrats want to prevent spending limits established in 2011 from kicking in. Without congressional action, defense spending would be shaved by $54 billion and nondefense spending would see a $37 billion cut in fiscal 2018, which ends in September.
Many Republicans have championed increasing military spending by at least $54 billion, the level of the White House’s request for fiscal 2018. But now some are calling for a larger boost.”
-Kristina Peterson, “Republicans Want Bigger Increase for Military Spending in Budget Talks,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 9, 2018 09:16pm