Senators Look to Bypass Defense Spending Caps in Debt Ceiling Bill

The debt ceiling bill came under fire from both Democrat and Republican parties for a variety of reasons. One reason cited by some in the GOP was the top line in defense spending.
The bill—negotiated between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden last weekend and passed overwhelmingly in the House on May 31 and the Senate on June 1—includes a commitment to spend almost $886.35 billion on defense in fiscal year 2024 and just over $895.21 billion the following fiscal year.
The criticisms came as the United States continues to deal with numerous geopolitical threats.
China is threatening to invade Taiwan, having conducted a great number of fighter jet exercises near the island nation. And Beijing has taken over man-made islands in the Indo-Pacific, where it has a major naval presence….}