Lawmakers are weighing a White House budget request that could push U.S. military spending to historic levels as tensions with Iran escalate. The administration has asked for $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon for fiscal 2027, a rise of more than 40 percent from the current year, while proposing a roughly 10 percent reduction in non-defense programs. Officials have also signaled plans to seek a supplemental appropriation from Congress to cover costs tied to the Iran conflict. President Trump met privately with his national security team as the situation grew more urgent, extended a Friday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Monday night, and said the strait could be reopened if given more time. Reporting on those meetings suggested the president may be looking for a way to de-escalate after outcomes that did not match initial expectations. Democratic lawmakers, frustrated by the administration’s use of force, have renewed calls to rein in the war and to reassert Congress’s constitutional role over war powers and funding. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Congress must reestablish control over both military commitments and the purse strings. Some Republicans raised objections as well: Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said the budget request contains several shortcomings and expressed concern about steep cuts to domestic programs, noting that Congress holds the ultimate power of the purse. If approved, the Pentagon request would fund priorities such as construction of 18 new Navy warships and troop pay increases, among other items. The White House frames the package as necessary to meet growing military needs, and lawmakers from both parties say they will closely scrutinize the proposal as they balance oversight of the Iran conflict with broader budget priorities.
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