White House Requests $1.01 Trillion FY26 Defense Budget

Recent discussions of the FY26 U.S. defense budget reveal that claims of a trillion-dollar Pentagon request are misleading, as the proposed increase relies heavily on $119.3 billion from a congressional reconciliation bill, with the actual discretionary defense budget remaining flat and even declining when adjusted for inflation. The Pentagon’s base budget would hover around $850 billion, contradicting both the administration's previous projections and suggestions of a significant real increase. Meanwhile, announced efforts to cut $5.1 billion in Pentagon spending by reducing contractor use are seen as insufficient without broader reforms, especially given persistent audit failures and examples of contractor price gouging. Ongoing debates about defense acquisition policy pit advocates of innovative, commercially-driven procurement against traditional political and industry interests, with recent executive orders aiming to modernize acquisition and review underperforming programs. Despite these reform efforts, congressional leaders continue to favor significant budget increases for established weapons programs, complicating the push for genuine cost-saving and modernization.