Biden Seeks $10 Billion for Pacific Deterrence Initiative

The Biden administration is seeking nearly $10 billion to build out defense capabilities aimed at countering Chinese communist aggression in the Indo-Pacific. The administration’s proposed defense spending request for fiscal year 2025 includes $9.9 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), a congressionally mandated section of the defense budget aimed at prioritizing defense spending for the region. Speaking at an April 9 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said the request demonstrated the United States’ continued focus on strategic competition with China. “We know that China seeks to challenge the security and economic interests of the United States and our allies and that it increasingly has the ability to do so,” Mr. Reed said....