Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) said the Biden administration has failed to prioritize the U.S. military to the extent necessary to deter the threats posed by the country's adversaries.
“The Biden administration continues to prioritize its political agenda over the growing needs of our military. An increasingly aggressive China, a resurgent Russia and volatile rogue nation-states demand laser focus from the Department of Defense,” Moore said in a statement provided to State Newswire. “With initiatives like climate equity dominating his narrative, I do not believe President Biden has made it clear that warfighter lethality is the primary focus of his defense strategy.”
Strategic documents released by the Defense Department outline how the United States works with allies for deterrence, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a news release.
“Our adversaries’ continued disregard of the rules-based international order indicates they have taken notice,” Moore said in his statement. “Now is the time to project power abroad by maintaining air superiority, rebuilding our Navy, modernizing the nuclear triad and investing in emerging technologies. For strategic deterrence to work, our adversaries must have no reason to question America’s asymmetric advantages on air, land and sea.”
The Defense Department released strategic documents to the public: the National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review. The news release reported that the 2022 National Defense Strategy prioritizes increased deterrence against China.
“Integrated deterrence isn't just about steps that we take on our own," Austin said, according to the release. “It also means working even more closely with our unparalleled network of allies and partners to deter aggression in region after region.”
He said that the U.S. will continue to modernize its nuclear capabilities.
The Biden administration plans to cease the development of nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles in spite of the recommendations of military leaders, Reuters reported. The strategic documents stated that the U.S. would maintain “a very high bar for nuclear employment.” Austin said that SLCM-N development is unnecessary because U.S. nuclear capabilities are strong enough.
The U.S. held nuclear superiority over China since the Cold War era as China stuck to strategies of “lean and effective” and “no first use,” meaning it would not be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict from a nuclear arsenal that’s sufficient only to attack critical target areas in a retaliatory strike, the Heritage Foundation reported. In 2010, China possessed approximately 65 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and a small number of dual-capable intermediate- and medium-range ballistic missiles. In 2020, China had fewer than 300 nuclear weapons. The U.S. had nearly 2,000. The Pentagon predicted that China could double its arsenal by 2030. Information in the last two years has shown that China's nuclear capabilities could exceed those of the U.S. sooner than anticipated.
The Fiscal Year 2023 defense budget includes $3 billion "to address the effects of climate change, bolstering our installation resiliency and adaptation to climate challenges," according to the Defense Department release.
A Center for Strategic and International Studies report argues that the U.S. maintain international order and preserves its role as a global leader by increasing or restructuring military spending. It said diplomacy and economic instruments are preferable, but a dominant military is necessary. The report calls the Biden administration “shy” when it comes to pursuing either option, partially because U.S. military spending is greater than the next nine countries combined. The report argues that it fails to recognize U.S. responsibilities as a global leader.
Moore worked for small businesses and in the foreign service before his election for Utah’s First Congressional District, according to his website.
