The Defense Budget
A Democratic Congress could derail major Pentagon plans and put Hegseth under pressure
Funding fights, investigations and potential impeachment proceedings could reshape the Defense Department’s agenda, putting high-profile initiatives such as the Golden Fleet and Autonomous Warfare Command at risk.
How Congress is reshaping the administration's FY27 defense budget
Lawmakers are backing the White House’s spending ambitions in some areas while pushing back on how the Pentagon would spend the money.
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Citing legal requirement, senator wants a designated inspector general to provide oversight of Iran war
The Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency is required to select an IG to oversee reviews when a military “overseas contingency operation” surpasses 60 days.
Record-smashing $1.5-trillion spending proposal will fund only the ‘most essential things’: comptroller
The Pentagon’s acting CFO also said that just a sliver of the $153 billion reconciliation funds remains unallocated.
Watchdog wants more transparency on DOD’s reprogramming of military pay funds
While GAO did not find that the realignment decreased military benefits, it did urge the Pentagon to provide more information on the funding to Congress.
Pentagon budget request aims to balance congressional limits, foreign needs, and innovation
“This should be the wake-up call that tells us we need to be buying different stuff,” one expert said.
Why Defense Budgets Will Stay High After the Ukraine War
The war is exposing how European nations were underinvesting in defense, and the critical role that renewable energy will play in transatlantic security.
GovExec Daily: Congress and Investment in Defense Firms
The Project on Government Oversight's Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette and Nathan Siegel join the podcast to discuss ethics, Congress and the Pentagon budget.
The Defense Department Fails Its Audit Again, But Officials Have ‘No Doubt’ It Will Eventually Pass
This was the fourth time the Pentagon completed an audit since it became a requirement in 1990.
Senators Seek to Get Pentagon To Achieve a Clean Audit
A bipartisan bill would penalize the Defense Department for failing.
Third Defense Audit Shows Some Progress, Watchdog Says
Some components are performing better, but overall, the department’s books still don’t add up.
Senate Joins House in Overriding Trump’s Veto of Defense Bill
Congress’ rejection of the veto—the first in Trump’s presidency—comes during his final days in office.
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House Votes to Override Trump’s NDAA Veto
The Senate will likely vote Tuesday, potentially overriding Trump’s veto for the first time in his presidency.
EXCLUSIVE: Details Revealed in Trump’s Lame-Duck Pentagon Budget Draft
Some of the numbers are “fabricated,” says one official. But they shed light on GOP lines of attack awaiting Biden.
What Clinton’s Foreign Affairs Article May Mean for the Defense Budget
Her approach, more rebalancing rather than modernizing, avoids a simple zero-sum frame of defense vs. non-defense spending.
US Shipyards Lack Needed Repair Capacity, Admiral Says
And that’s just in peacetime.
We Don’t Have Enough Cash to Build New Nuclear Weapons, Says Air Force Chief
Nukes or conventional weapons, “the current budget does not allow you to do both,” says Gen. Dave Goldfein, suggesting Congress create a separate account.
Viewpoint: We Really Need to Fix the Federal Budget Process
With the 2020 defense policy bill close to done, here are some ideas for next year.
