As Republicans and Democrats head toward a clash over military spending and Iran war funding, President Trump on Thursday renewed his call for lawmakers in his party to use the reconciliation process to pass a $350 billion spending package for the Department of Defense.
“Our Military must be strong, powerful, and respected,” Trump said on his social media platform. “Republicans must deliver for our Warriors. The Democrats never will. The time is NOW.”
The proposed $350 billion would come in addition to a $1.15 trillion base budget he requested for the Pentagon, pushing defense spending up to about $1.5 trillion in 2027. However, some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the overall cost and it’s not clear if there is enough support among Republicans to pass the $350 billion supplemental at this point. Senate Republicans had dramatically scaled back their plan for a reconciliation package prior to the elections.
Interest remains: The Pentagon continues to lobby for the extra funding package, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling on lawmakers this week to pass it. Speaking to reporters, Hegseth said that “this lame-duck period is critically important for funding of our department; $350 billion at a minimum for reconciliation is what we believe is needed to make a generational and historic investment in this department.”
As Air & Space Forces magazine reported this week, one of the top noncommissioned officers in the Air Force recently told a military support group that the funding increase is essential. “I can’t stress to you enough how important it is for Congress to pass this budget this year,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe told the Airlift/Tanker Association. “We need the entire budget.”
Still, the full $1.5 trillion request is seen as a long shot, and some Pentagon officials are reportedly working with congressional committees on a smaller budget. In addition, some outside defense experts are working on alternatives for the base budget. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, an independent nonprofit focused on defense policy, recently released a “Plan B” budget request that laid out four options, with topline spending totals ranging from $1.05 trillion to $1.15 trillion. Defense analysts at the American Enterprise Institute have also defined a range of budget options, with toplines ranging from $1 trillion to $1.25 trillion.
The reconciliation option: Several Republican lawmakers have called on their caucus to pass the reconciliation bill that includes the $350 billion for the Pentagon, along with other GOP priorities, during their final weeks in control of Congress. Earlier this week, Sen. Tom Cotton, who leads the Senate Republican Conference, said Republicans had committed themselves “to do everything humanly possible to pass a reconciliation bill” before the Democrats take over in January.
Whether Republicans can maintain enough discipline and unity to pass a reconciliation bill remains to be seen. In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. John Kennedy urged his fellow Republicans to try. “I’m for spending the time, effort and energy to put together a reconciliation bill,” Kennedy said. “I would start with extra money for the military, and then I’m open to other ideas, and I would begin the process next week. And if we fail, we fail, but at least we will have tried.”