In a bid to counter coordinated threats from Russia, Iran, and China, Senator Roger Wicker, the top-ranking Republican on a Senate committee overseeing the military, is advocating for a significant increase in defense spending. Wicker is pushing for an additional $55 billion in defense funding, going beyond the limits set in the debt limit deal forged last year.

Citing unprecedented levels of cooperation and coordination among this axis of aggressors, Wicker emphasized the urgent need for the United States to bolster its defensive capabilities. He warned that failing to do so would be foolish on a national survival basis.

This proposal by Wicker establishes a key stance for Senate Republicans as they engage in a fresh round of budget negotiations with Democrats during an election year. Although the White House has proposed a $850 billion defense budget adhering to the debt limit deal, Wicker's plan calls for a reshuffling of national priorities, potentially directing up to 5% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) towards defense spending.

Currently, defense spending accounts for approximately 3% of GDP, which has been declining since the peak of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Wicker argues that compared to the 1980s and early 1990s, the United States is far from being able to maintain peace due to an aging American arsenal and the expanding territories of Russia and China.

Wicker's 52-page plan advocates for increased investment in a new generation of weapons, highlighting the need for modernization as Russia and China assert their dominance in Europe and the Pacific, respectively. The recent high-level meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which underscored their growing partnership, was identified by Wicker as a wake-up call.

Despite the urgent call for increased defense spending, skeptics in Congress remain wary of growing the budget further as defense already consumes a significant portion of annual discretionary funding. The House Armed Services Committee recently approved a proposal keeping within the spending caps, but Senate Democrats are expected to resist additional cuts to other government programs.

The Senate committee is set to craft the annual military authorization bill next month, with Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island leading the committee. Wicker's plan has been discussed with Reed and top Democratic appropriators, but their level of support remains undisclosed.

As defense hawks like Wicker navigate the shifting politics of defense spending, they face the challenge of reconciling their stance with President Trump's "America First" foreign policy approach. However, given the escalating military strength of China and Russia's recent European land invasion, Wicker believes that the current international landscape demands a different response.

Drawing inspiration from former Senator John McCain's unsuccessful push in 2017 to significantly increase defense spending, Wicker remains confident that this time, the reality on the ground will catalyze change.