Congress fights over $1.5T defense budget
Lawmakers return to a stalled legislative process for the FY27 defense budget, with a $1.15 trillion discretionary request and a $350 billion
Congress returns in September to a stalled legislative process for the fiscal year 2027 defense budget. The Pentagon is seeking a historic $1.5 trillion, combining a $1.15 trillion discretionary request with a further $350 billion from a mandatory reconciliation process.
According to a report from Breaking Defense, the Republican-led Congress faces major hurdles in passing the full amount. The House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in July, but Senate Democrats have blocked their chamber's bill. Senate appropriators have not yet released their defense spending bill text due to a stalemate between party leaders.
Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated in July that a solid resolution on both domestic and defense budgets is needed to move forward. The House has passed a budget resolution with $60 billion for defense to start the reconciliation process, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune lacks the votes to advance it in the Senate.
Other urgent items include a White House supplemental request for $67 billion in defense funds and a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown when funding expires on October 1. The House and Senate have each passed separate stopgap bills extending funding into early December but must agree on a final version before the September 30 deadline. Congress has limited time, with the Senate not returning until September 14 and both chambers breaking in October for midterm elections.
Defense Budget Topline
Different committees handle different parts of the national defense spending, making direct comparisons difficult. The NDAA authorizes funding but does not obligate it, while appropriations bills provide the actual money.
| Bill or Request | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| President's Discretionary Request | $1.15 trillion | First request over $1 trillion without mandatory funds. |
| DoD Reconciliation Request | $350 billion | Mandatory spending sought through separate process. |
| House NDAA | $1.14 trillion | Authorizes discretionary spending in its jurisdiction. |
| Senate NDAA | $1.14 trillion | Authorizes discretionary spending, matching request. |
| House Defense Appropriations | $1 trillion | Discretionary spending, per president's request. |
The House defense appropriations bill adheres to the president's $1 trillion discretionary request because other spending like military construction is in separate bills. Appropriators have no stake in the reconciliation process.
Munitions Funding
Much of the proposed increase for munitions resides in the $350 billion reconciliation request. The discretionary budget for FY27 actually decreases quantities for some key weapons compared to FY26. For example, it would fund 267 PAC-3 missiles, down from 310 the previous year. The reconciliation request would add nearly 3,000 more PAC-3 interceptors.
The reconciliation request includes $47 billion for munitions. The House NDAA authorizes multiyear procurement for 13 critical munitions and requires reports on inventory plans. The Senate NDAA authorizes multiyear procurement for 19 munitions but expresses concern that the Pentagon's proposals focus too much on traditional production lines. House appropriators included $11.4 billion for critical munitions procurement, calling the strategy of funding the ramp-up through reconciliation "risky and uncoordinated."
Key Programs: Golden Dome and F-35
The administration requested $397 million for the Golden Dome program in the base budget. The bulk of its request, $17.1 billion, is in the reconciliation package. The House NDAA, Senate NDAA, and House defense appropriations bill all fully fund the $397 million discretionary amount.
For the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the discretionary budget requests funding for 32 aircraft: 24 F-35As for the Air Force, six F-35Cs for the Marine Corps, and two F-35Cs for the Navy. The reconciliation request seeks an additional $6.7 billion to buy 53 more planes across all variants. The House NDAA adheres to the discretionary request, while the Senate NDAA added $232 million for F-35A procurement but kept the quantity at 24.
Regarding the E-7 Wedgetail, the Air Force initially planned to cancel the program. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers in May that the Pentagon planned to resuscitate it and request funding through a budget amendment.
