The Democrats’ victory in both chambers of Congress casts doubt on President Donald Trump’s request for a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027. The sum is 44% higher than the level in the previous fiscal year, and according to Bloomberg, the midterm election results have practically eliminated the last hopes of approving the full package.
The Democrats won the House of Representatives and the Senate in the elections held on November 3. The new Congress will begin work in January 2027, but Republicans still have time to act in the current legislative session.
A budget of around $1 trillion
The expectation is that Democrats will push for a significantly smaller budget to fund the modernization of the Pentagon, but not include the full amount proposed by Trump. In a post-election statement, Adam Smith of Washington, who is expected to chair the House Armed Services Committee, said:
This does not automatically mean approval of a budget of exactly $1 trillion. It indicates the upper limit around which Democrats could seek a compromise, provided that the funds are directed toward weapons modernization, ammunition production, and technological development.
The war against Iran complicates negotiations
Democrats face a political balancing act. They want the Pentagon to have the resources for modernization, but they do not want their vote to be portrayed as approval of the ongoing war against Iran. The military operations in the Middle East are unpopular, and the costs associated with them became one of the factors behind the Republicans’ heavy defeat in the midterm elections.
The Pentagon has already warned that it needs additional funds to replenish ammunition stocks and maintain operations. According to Bloomberg Government, the requested package also includes $350 billion in mandatory funding, which would have to be approved through a special budget procedure.
Impeachment vote on Hegseth
The budget dispute is unfolding amid pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie plans to call for a vote this week on an impeachment resolution related to the administration’s actions in the war against Iran and alleged violations of Congress’s powers.
Hegseth dismissed the initiative as a “political attack,” but pressure on him intensified after the election. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he would support impeachment. If the House approves the resolution, the secretary’s removal will depend on a Senate trial and a two-thirds majority.
The next key battle will concern temporary and permanent funding for the Pentagon. The current temporary funding expires in December, which could force the two parties to reach an agreement before the new Congress begins.
Sources: ca.finance.yahoo.com, apnews.com, axios.com