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US Defense Budget Progression
Comparison of defense budget approvals and proposals.
Primary Sources
Trump budget proposes $1.5 trillion defense spending, cutting domestic ...
By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — An effort to ramp up U.S. weapons production and build more ships, planes and drones will require a massive upfront investment, President Donald Trump’s budget director told a House committee Wednesday. The testimony from Russell Vought jump-starts the White House’s push to increase defense spending to nearly $1.5 trillion in the next budget year, up from nearly $1 trillion this year, while cutting health research, heating assistance and scores of other domestic programs by about 10% overall. Such cuts do not cover mandatory spending, which includes such programs as Social Security and Medicare. The debate over Trump’s proposal underscored the sharp divide that will shape some of the most significant policy debates going into a midterm election that will give voters the ultimate say on the direction of the country. “For the industrial base to double or triple and build more facilities, not just add shifts, it requires multiyear agreements to purchase into the future,” Vought told lawmakers. “That cost has to be booked in this first year.” The White House is calling for about $1.1 trillion for defense through the regular appropriations process, which typically requires support from both parties for approval. An additional $350 billion would come through a separate bill that Republicans can accomplish on their own, through party-line majority votes. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, said he believes in a strong national defense. But he said the idea of increasing defense by more than 40% while cutting programs that people need shows that the Republican administration’s priorities are “out of whack.” The committee chairman, Rep. Jodey Arrington predicted the hearing would be more “amped up” than usual, and that proved to be true, beginning with his opening statement focused on criticizing Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency. Arrington, R-Texas, said he did not know of any president in his lifetime who “inherited such a complete and utter mess as President Trump did in January of last year.” Since then, Arrington said, Trump has secured the border, cut taxes and constrained nondefense spending. It was the beginning of several back-and-forths at the hearing. “You know how bad this economy is when we hear Joe Biden being invoked, we hear trans people being invoked. I was waiting for Jimmy Carter to be blamed next,” Boyle said in response to Arrington’s opening remarks. Boyle said ...
The problem with America's $1 trillion military budget
2026-04-20T17:00:23.900Z Description Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. US defense spending is on track to top $1 trillion for the first time in history. Congress approved $900 billion for defense in 2026, and President Donald Trump has since proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, the largest request in decades. Much of that money goes to weapons like the F-35, which can cost over $100 million apiece. So why are American weapons so incredibly expensive?US military spending wasn't always like this. In 1909, the Wright Brothers sold the first military airplane for $30,000. During World War II, Henry Ford's Willow Run plant could efficiently crank out a B-24 bomber every hour.But in the 1990s, the American defense industry consolidated from 51 major contractors down to just five: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon, and General Dynamics. That shift gave these companies enormous leverage over the Pentagon. The result? Cost overruns, missed deadlines, and weapons systems that even the US military can't repair without going back to the contractors that built them. US defense spending is on track to top $1 trillion for the first time in history. Congress approved $900 billion for defense in 2026, and President Donald Trump has since proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, the largest request in decades. Much of that money goes to weapons like the F-35, which can cost over $100 million apiece. So why are American weapons so incredibly expensive?US military spending wasn't always like this. In 1909, the Wright Brothers sold the first military airplane for $30,000. During World War II, Henry Ford's Willow Run plant could efficiently crank out a B-24 bomber every hour.But in the 1990s, the American defense industry consolidated from 51 major contractors down to just five: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon, and General Dynamics. That shift gave these companies enormous leverage over the Pentagon. The result? Cost overruns, missed deadlines, and weapons systems that even the US military can't repair without going back to the contractors that built them. Show more
WATCH: OMB Director Vought defends military spending boost in ... - PBS
The testimony from Russell Vought jump-starts the White House's push to increase defense spending to nearly $1.5 trillion in the next budget year, up from nearly $1 trillion this year, while ...
What's Really in Trump's 2027 $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget?
And yet, Trump requesting a US military budget of $1.5 trillion cash American dollars for 2027 slipped under the radar for most people. This number is obscenely large, even for Trump, which leads me to believe that somewhere between Venezuela and Iran, he finally realized that he wields the single most destructive force the human race has ever ...
