10% defense budget hike proposed

AN INCREASE of $54 billion in the U.S. defense spending will be proposed for the 2017-18 federal budget, President Trump said on Monday Above, a Marine Corps life fire exercise at Camp Pendleton (Department of Defense photo).

President Donald Trump will propose an increase in military spending of $54 billion. In speaking to governors in the White House on Monday, the president said he would seek a “public safety and national security budget” in the 2017-18 federal spending plan.

“This budget follows through on my promise to keep Americans safe,” Trump said. “It will include an historic increase in defense spending to rebuild the depleted military of the United States.”

The proposed increase would amount to a hike of 10 percent in military expenses. Currently, the U.S. spends about $600 billion for defense, the largest amount in the world. China is second at $146 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at $82 billion and Russia at $65.6 billion, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.