The Hegseth budget: defense secretary’s $1.5tn ask reveals military-industrial chaos
Summary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested nearly $1.5 trillion for the 2027 U.S. military budget, marking a significant increase. At the same time, he is seeking $67 billion in emergency funds for operations related to the ongoing conflict in Iran, amid concerns from lawmakers about how previous funds have been used.Key Facts
- Hegseth originally aimed to cut Pentagon spending by 8% annually over five years but later shifted to requesting an increase of $454 billion for 2027.
- The proposed 2027 defense budget of almost $1.5 trillion would surpass U.S. military spending levels from World War II when adjusted for inflation.
- The U.S. government is funding the Iran war separately from the main Pentagon budget, leading to a dual push for funding on Capitol Hill.
- Hegseth requested $67 billion in emergency defense funding for 2026, including money for the National Guard in Washington, D.C., southern border patrols, and operations in the Caribbean.
- Senate Democrats questioned the emergency funding, highlighting some costs as unrelated to the Iran conflict.
- Hegseth blamed the Biden administration for budget shortages related to the Iran war.
- The Pentagon still has $75 billion left unspent from a previous $156 billion increase passed last year.
- Hegseth counted the estimated cost of the Iran war up to September 30 at $37.5 billion but gave limited details.
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