The White House has asked Congress for $1.5 trillion in defense spending for fiscal year 2027 — roughly a 42% increase — while proposing about a 10% reduction in nondefense discretionary spending, a cut of around $73 billion.
The administration released a 92-page budget request and summary outlining priorities and justifying the large defense boost amid ongoing U.S. military operations tied to the Iran conflict. The document frames the increase as necessary to respond to the current global threat environment, restore readiness and lethality, and claims the plan exceeds the buildup seen during the Reagan era.
Key defense items include funding for a 5% to 7% pay raise for service members, $65.8 billion to acquire new ships and replenish munitions depleted during the Iran war, and support for development of a space-based missile defense sensor and interceptor program described as a “Golden Dome.” The White House also indicated it will seek supplemental appropriations to cover conflict-related costs.
To offset the surge in military spending, the proposal calls for shifting more programs and responsibilities to state and local governments and trimming what the administration characterizes as ideological, weaponized or wasteful federal activities. The summary says savings would come from eliminating duplicative programs and returning certain responsibilities to states.
The budget would end nearly 30 grants the administration labels duplicative or ineffective, and part of the stated goal is to “end weaponization of the Department of Justice.” It also requests targeted increases for some domestic needs, including $481 million to hire more air traffic controllers and boost aviation safety, and $605 million to cover National Guard mobilizations in Washington, D.C.
Among the proposed reductions: $768 million from refugee resettlement funding and $819 million from the Unaccompanied Alien Children program. The plan seeks $5 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health, criticizing the agency’s stewardship, and $356 million in reductions to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which oversees public health emergency preparedness. The Transportation Security Administration would see a $52 million cut tied to plans to begin privatizing screening at smaller airports.
The president reiterated the approach at an Easter White House luncheon, saying the federal government should prioritize military protection and wartime needs while shifting programs such as childcare and Medicaid to state management and funding.
The president’s budget request is a starting point for congressional negotiations; lawmakers in both parties will weigh in, and final spending levels typically change substantially in the appropriations process.