Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks with Senator Patty Murray and Sentaor Susan Collins on the conclusion of testimony on the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on May 16, 2023. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
After the Senate Armed Services Committee approved boosting the topline of its defense policy bill by $25 billion, the upper chamber’s top appropriator reiterated this week that any defense spending increase have to be matched with an analogous move for non-defense…