Republican Congressman Michael Waltz of Florida warned Monday that China is “on the march” and preparing for “a move the likes of which we have never seen in the world.”
Appearing on “Fox & Friends First,” the lawmaker voiced concerns about President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s deal to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for a slowdown in government spending.
“We need to understand that within the next few years, they may make a move the likes of which we have never seen in the world,” Waltz emphasized. “Their Navy is now larger than ours. Biden’s budget, which this deal agrees to, would send our Navy backward.”
The Florida congressman also pleaded with colleagues who have suggested cuts to military spending, arguing that the national security impetus of countering China and other U.S. adversaries is too great.
“I know there are those out there who say, look at the billions we spend on defense. But you have to look at that in the context of what’s going on in the world,” Waltz explained.
However, “Iran is racing towards a nuclear weapon, and you could then have a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, not to mention Israel being wiped off the face of the earth and the Chinese are on the march,” he contended.
Waltz’s comments arrive as the proposed deal between Biden and McCarthy includes $886 billion in total military spending, including a 3.2% increase to the Department of Defense from fiscal year 2023.
The agreement would also roll back $10 million in allotted money to the Internal Revenue Service over two years and decrease non-defense discretionary spending by $1 billion, around $637 billion in total.
“We’ll see over the next few days as we comb through the language and as we talk to leadership,” Waltz said of potential changes to the proposal.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.