Biden administration reveals first 2022 budget request: $1.5 trillion in discretionary funding

The Biden administration on Friday sent Congress its first budget request for the 2022 fiscal year, outlining a set of priorities including funding for medical research, education, housing, civil rights, combating gun violence, tackling climate change and more. The administration is seeking $1.5 trillion in discretionary funding.

The request is an effort to inform lawmakers as they begin the process of appropriating taxpayer dollars for the next fiscal year. Administration officials said they are aiming to release their full budget in late spring.  Included in the so-called "skinny budget" proposal is a request for $769 billion in non-defense funding. This marks a 16% increase over the 2021 fiscal year spending, as the administration moves to return spending to what it called the historical average over the last 30 years and boost spending on public services and benefits they said had been underfunded. The proposal also includes $753 billion for national defense programs, a 1.7% increase from the 2021 budget.