Republican senators call on Biden to increase defense spending, change climate policy

President's strong words clearly refer to Russia's Vladimir Putin, and his call to other world leader to prevent war are in White House excerpts

By Madeleine Hubbard

Republican senators are demanding for President Joe Biden to create a "robust military budget" and correct his "misguided energy policies" during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

"As our nation prepares for this new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Russia and China, we have serious concerns that we encourage you to address in tonight's State of the Union and thereafter act upon immediately," the 23 Republican Senators wrote in a letter to Biden obtained by Just the News.

While the senators stated that they appreciate Biden's call for unity, they told the president, "you must submit a robust military budget that significantly increases defense spending to reflect the realities of our geostrategic competition with China and Russia."

Biden proposed defense cuts in his 2022 budget, yet he also "proposed massive increases to almost every other federal agency and department," the senators stated.

The letter was signed by Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

The Republicans accused Biden's energy policies of "restricting, delaying, and killing the production of American energy," which has had a "catastrophic effect" of increasing energy prices.

"You recently told the American people in a press conference that your Administration was using 'every tool at our disposal to protect American families and businesses from rising prices at the gas pump' and 'taking active steps to bring down the cost.' Mr. President, respectfully, that is not true and the facts show it," they wrote.

The senators gave Biden a list of things to do to improve the state of energy in America, including restarting the Keystone XL Pipeline and similar projects, fast tracking the production of American energy on federal lands and using his "bully pulpit to encourage–not discourage–America's financial institutions to support American energy independence by investing in American oil and gas."

Biden was also asked to fire White House Climate Czar Gina McCarthy and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, who recently made controversial remarks about Ukraine such as "I hope President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate."

Sen. Wicker on Twitter also called on Biden to address inflation, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the record-high violent crime rate and record illegal immigration.

Sen. Sullivan slammed Biden's energy and defense policies as "suicide" hours before the State of the Union Address.