Overview
- The White House request, sent to lawmakers Friday, seeks $1.5 trillion for defense in 2027, a $445 billion or 42% jump from 2026.
- US media describe the increase as the largest year-over-year rise in Pentagon funding since World War II, and Congress must still write and pass the final spending bills.
- To offset part of the surge, the plan proposes about $73 billion in cuts to domestic programs such as environmental, housing, and education initiatives, and Trump says states should handle childcare, Medicaid, and Medicare.
- The administration links the push to the Iran war, with news reports estimating costs near $2 billion per day after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
- Democrats in Congress condemned the shift toward war spending as lawmakers weigh a 2026 deficit of about $1.85 trillion and total federal debt above $39 trillion.