Pentagon Drafts $1.1 Trillion Budget, Shaving $400 Billion Off Trump's Request
The draft figure is $400 billion lower than the $1.5 trillion sought by the White House, a gap that complicates plans to refill weapons stockpiles depleted during the war with Iran.
By George Parker ·
The Department of Defense is currently drafting a budget that totals $1.1 trillion, according to a report by Politico published on Thursday.
The proposed figure cuts $400 billion from the $1.5 trillion budget requested by President Donald Trump. This reduction relies on a legislative process called reconciliation, which would allow Republican lawmakers to add $350 billion to a base budget of $1.15 trillion.
Pentagon planners are now determining which defense programs to prioritize under this lower funding ceiling. One former official told Politico that planners are developing plans for a smaller budget and do not expect the final number to approach the $1.5 trillion mark requested by the White House.
The funding gap creates challenges for the Defense Department's goal of rebuilding weapons stockpiles. The US spent approximately $47 billion on its war with Iran, with $29 billion of that cost attributed to replacing critical munitions. The reduced budget may slow the pace of this replenishment and affect new defense agreements.
White House budget director Russell Vought said earlier this month that the administration has no developed alternatives to fund key Pentagon programs if Congress rejects the White House's plan. A former official noted that Republicans are increasingly angry with the administration on defense spending, making a $1.5 trillion budget unlikely.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
