President Trump has called for a nearly 50% increase in the defense budget, asking Congress for $1.5 trillion in defense spending for the fiscal year beginning in October.
The Trump administration proposed passing $350 billion of that defense funding through reconciliation to avoid negotiation with Congressional Democrats.
Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) welcomed the request and said in a statement that his panel “will welcome candid testimony from leaders from the Department of Defense, the military services, and the intelligence community. The success of our efforts will depend on close cooperation and timely information sharing from department counterparts.”
The administration’s request notes the Golden Dome missile defense system and the investments in Navy shipbuilding as recipients of the increased funding.
The Senate’s top Democratic appropriator, Patty Murray (Wash.) said the overall budget request, which cuts spending on many non-defense programs, is “morally corrupt.”
“Our national defense budget should not be dictated by a president who is sending servicemembers into harm’s way in reckless foreign wars—and who woke up one day and decided to send his aides scrambling to figure out how on earth they could spend half a trillion dollars more, which the Pentagon can’t possibly spend responsibly,” Murray said in a statement.
National Guard photo by Christian Brown
