Biden administration requests $886 billion defense budget

The Biden administration has requested an $886 billion defense budget, making it the U.S.’ largest peacetime budget request and $28 billion more than last year’s.

The budget request includes a 5.2% increase in pay for troops and a large allocation for research and development, Reuters reported on March 13.

It reportedly proposes $842 billion for the Pentagon and $44 billion for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s defense-related programs.

The proposed budget will also be the first to acquire munitions with multiple-year contracts.

On March 10, the Biden administration asked Congress for over $6 billion in assistance to support Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale war in the 2024 fiscal year.

The White House allocated $6 billion to assist Ukraine, NATO, and European allies “by prioritizing funding to enhance the capabilities and readiness of the United States, allies, and partner forces in the face of continued Russian aggression,” according to the budget document.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $75 billion in humanitarian, financial, and military support to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Of that total, the Biden administration has directed more than $31 billion in security assistance to Kyiv and NATO allies, per Congressional Research Service data.