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Cole Reacts to President Biden’s FY22 Budget Outline

April 9, 2021

Moore, OK – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after President Joe Biden released his discretionary spending outline for fiscal year 2022. A senior Republican appropriator, Cole sits on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Cole's district includes Fort Sill in Lawton and Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City.

"When it comes to federal government spending, presidents propose but Congresses dispose. The fact is that President Biden's proposed budget outline is likely to be changed by Congress," saidCole.

"Broadly speaking, the president's proposal spends too much on domestic programs and far too little on defense. With China and Russia building up their militaries and becoming increasingly more aggressive, America cannot afford to stand still or cut back in terms of its own defense spending. At a minimum, we need to see 3 to 5 percent in annual increases beyond the rate of inflation for defense spending over the next several years. By contrast, with inflation, the general overview the president submitted would be an effective cut.

"Domestically, Biden's so-called skinny budget, like his coronavirus ‘relief' and infrastructure proposals, simply spends more than our nation can afford. That is especially true after the massive stimulus spending added to the national debt in response to the coronavirus pandemic over the past year.

"However, I certainly agree with the president that we need to invest more in the area of public health. To keep America safe and healthy, the United States needs to continue to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their related agencies and programs.

"In the days and months ahead, I remain ready to work with the Administration and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to responsibly fund the government for fiscal year 2022," concluded Cole.