WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement on the International Affairs provisions of the Biden administration’s 2024 federal budget request released on Thursday:
“From standing united against violent autocrats and with those fighting for a rules-based international order, democracy, human rights, and the cause of freedom in Ukraine and elsewhere, President Biden’s FY24 budget request is a recognition of the importance of investing in our national security and diplomatic corps.
“If we are serious about advancing U.S. interests and competing with the People’s Republic of China around the world, we must start matching ambitious policy with ambitious resourcing. That is why the President’s proposal for $6 billion in new funding to strengthen our nation’s role in the Indo-Pacific and advance our economic competitiveness is the right approach to confront the challenges China poses to our national and economic security.
“I look forward to welcoming Secretary Blinken back to the Foreign Relations Committee this month to examine in detail how this budget request reflects our national security and diplomatic priorities given the challenges we face today. We have an opportunity to put our diplomats and development professionals in the best position to compete with China. I hope that my Republican colleagues will join us in this effort and assemble a robust budget that invests in our non-military instruments of power, stands with our allies, and pursues diplomatic outcomes that reflect our core values.”
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Juan Pachon