The U.S. Senate passed the bill to prevent default on the debt of the nation the night before, with an 63-36 vote. The bill was put on hold for a couple of hours after some senators that included Alaska’s Dan Sullivan, argued the bipartisan deal doesn’t allocate enough funds for the defense.
Sullivan stated that these are potentially dangerous times.
“Authoritarian dictators who have a tremendous desire to conquer are on the move. But, what is this budget agreement accomplish? It reduces defense spending by a significant amount,” he said from the Senate floor.
The agreement will increase next year’s defense expenditure by 3.3 percent that is lower than the rate of inflation.
Sullivan was part of a group comprised of 6 Republican senators who went to the Senate floor on Thursday to say that the defense budget was insufficient. Sullivan attempted to amend the bill by shifting $18 billion of funding to the Internal Revenue Service to the Pentagon.
“The option is simple,” he said just before the vote on his amendment. “More Navy ships, soldiers and Marines to defend America as well as greater number of IRS agents to intimidate Americans?”
The amendment required 60 votes in order to pass. It was approved by 49.
In the compromise, lawmakers already cut the money boost Congress provided to the IRS in the past. The Biden administration as well as Senate Democrats believe that the IRS requires the funds to upgrade its systems and take action on tax-evaders with high incomes.
Sullivan opposed the bill’s final version in protest of the size of military spending. Senator. Lisa Murkowski voted for the bill.
