Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has expressed his views on recent reports regarding a potential 8 percent reduction in defense spending as directed by the Secretary of Defense. In his statement, Wicker criticized the Biden administration's approach to military budgets over the past four years.

"The Biden administration sent Congress four consecutive budgets with military cuts. It aggressively opposed bipartisan attempts to increase defense spending. On the way out the door, the Biden administration found religion and increased the 051 DOD request from $850 billion in FY25 to $926.5 billion in FY26," Wicker stated.

He further explained that "Secretary Hegseth’s memo merely re-starts that process, allowing the new administration to review the entire budget." According to Wicker, this review will enable focusing on significant warfighting priorities while eliminating programs he deems unnecessary or distracting, such as those related to climate change and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). He noted that a similar review was conducted for FY22 four years ago.

Wicker also mentioned discussions with President Trump about plans for a military rebuild and Pentagon reform agenda. "I have spoken with President Trump repeatedly, and he intends to deliver a desperately needed military rebuild and Pentagon reform agenda," he said. This plan would involve significant growth in defense spending through reconciliation and annual budgeting processes.

Emphasizing his long-standing position on defense needs, Wicker remarked, "As I have said before, the Department of Defense desperately needs to re-arm and reform simultaneously." He advocated for strategic allocation of new defense spending growth as outlined in his document "21st Century Peace Through Strength" and paired with reforms detailed in "Restoring Freedom’s Forge." The Senate Armed Services Committee aims to pursue these objectives vigorously in 2025.