The White House released its 2027 budget request to Congress on Friday — with a $1.5 trillion request for the Department of War, upping defense spending by $445 billion from the previous year.
Of that, $1.15 trillion is marked as discretionary spending and at least $350 billion of that sum will be provided via a process known as budget reconciliation to expand the defense industrial base amid the ongoing war with Iran.
The Office of Management and Budget has also requested a $73 billion cut in non-defense spending, which is 10% lower than the 2026 fiscal year.
The defense budget includes a pay bump of between six and seven percent for all troops, funds to funds for “critical munitions,” development of President Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, investments “in critical minerals and domestic supply chains,” as well as $65.8 billion for shipbuilding.
“This amount exceeds even the Reagan buildup by approaching the historic increases just prior to World War II, a level that recognizes the current global threat environment and restores the readiness and lethality of our forces,” stated an OMB fact sheet.
“The whole of government, whole of nation shipbuilding order of 41 ships alone represents the largest demand signal to the maritime industrial base since the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.”
Additionally, the Department of War is expected to reduce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program spending by “millions of dollars” more after eliminating more than $1.6 billion.
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