
Lead Republican lawmakers in the Senate on Wednesday renewed their push for a higher defense topline as the chamber kicked off its fiscal year 2022 appropriations process, to include calling for parity with non-defense funding increases. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the top GOP member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, each said any progress on reaching a full FY '22 spending deal will stall out if the Pentagon does not receive a boost to…