Biden's 2025 Defense Budget Reflects Difficult Tradeoffs on Deterring China
• Despite rhetoric on overmatching China militarily, neither White House nor Congress willing to increase defense spending significantly
• Biden to request $850B defense budget for 2025, nearly $10B less than 2023 funding levels
• Proposed cuts include fewer Virginia-class attack submarines critical for deterring China
• Budget limits from debt ceiling deal constrain defense spending, forcing cuts to modernization
• Experts say U.S. must prioritize deterring China militarily despite capped defense budgets