Source: ABC News
“Alarmed by China’s success in wooing Pacific island nations, the Biden administration is proposing to spend billions to keep three of those countries in the U.S. orbit. President Joe Biden’s proposed federal budget released on Thursday includes more than $7.1 billion in funding for the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau. The money is included in the $63.1 billion request for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. It’s unclear if Congress would approve such aid. The overall budget proposal faces certain opposition in the Republican-led House and some GOP lawmakers are pushing for severe foreign aid cuts as they look to slash federal spending. But members of Congress have shown rare bipartisan unity on countering China, offering the prospect that the Pacific Island aid could be seen more favorably.” (03/09/23)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/biden-budget-aims-china-billions-pacific-islands-97747172