Pentagon Increases Briefings on $1.5 Trillion Budget Request as Senators Raise Timing and Transparency Concerns

By bellecarter // 2026-10-01

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Pentagon officials have ramped up efforts in recent weeks to help Congress advance President Donald Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal 2027, holding a classified Senate briefing Thursday morning led by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst and Joint Chiefs Vice Chair Christopher Mahoney. The outreach follows the White House's formal submission of the record request, which the administration describes as a nearly 50% increase over the roughly $1 trillion military budget enacted for fiscal 2026 ^[1]. The proposal was submitted as the United States remains engaged in a conflict with Iran now in its second month ^[2]. Some Republican senators said the briefings began too late to build the coalition needed to move the record-breaking request. The White House requested an $87 billion supplemental in June, including $67 billion to replenish munitions used during the Iran war. The Republican-controlled House passed a $95 billion package in July, but the measure has not advanced in the Senate. The national debt has continued to climb amid the spending, with debate over the long-term fiscal cost intensifying ^[3].

Pentagon Officials Brief Senate, House Panels

Feinberg and Mahoney briefed the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee on Wednesday and the House Appropriations defense subcommittee last week, according to senators. The Thursday classified briefing was held for the Senate Armed Services Committee and included discussion of the department's fiscal 2027 budget request. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said the briefings are always useful regardless of timing and that senators could gain threat information through classified subcommittee sessions. Fischer said the Pentagon must provide Congress with a list of priority items to be funded, adding she will keep pushing for it. The briefings come as the Pentagon pushes industry leaders to accelerate weapons production. Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Aug. 5, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to "drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities," according to a memo obtained by The Washington Times ^[4]. The department separately announced framework agreements with Boeing and Raytheon aimed at expanding production of ballistic missile interceptor hardware ^[5], and awarded a $22.9 billion contract with Raytheon to increase production of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to more than 1,000 per year ^[6].

Republican Senators Cite Late Start, Need for Coalition

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) praised briefers for answering questions at a very high level but said the administration has not done a good job understanding that the underlying appropriations bill still takes 60 votes in the Senate. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) said the Thursday classified briefing was good and tailored to Democrats skeptical of the war against Iran, but wished similar sessions had started seven or eight months earlier. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said there was ample time to work on the defense budget and praised Pentagon officials for explaining spending and additional funding needs. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said he initially was concerned about relying on reconciliation but gained understanding after a lack of Democratic cooperation in the appropriations process. Reconciliation is a budget procedure that allows certain spending and tax measures to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes typically required to overcome a filibuster. The administration has looked to pass $350 billion through that process.

Democrats Question Specificity and Cost of Iran Conflict

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said the argument made by Feinberg and others was less than convincing and cited confusion in their message and a lack of candor. Blumenthal said he was disappointed by the lack of specificity and that Democrats will demand more information to justify apparently excessive requests, especially given lowballing and undercounting of Iran war costs. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said after the briefing that the Pentagon has not done the type of engagement needed to justify the $1.5 trillion request. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said the budget is twice the size of when he first arrived, called the request an extraordinary amount of money, and said some systems will not work and some items are not needed. Cost figures for the Iran conflict have varied. Acting Comptroller Jules Hurst III told the House Armed Services Committee that the United States had spent approximately $25 billion on the war in its first 60 days ^[7]. A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis released April 6 projected direct costs of up to $47 billion from late February through the end of April ^[8]. The Pentagon's inspector general later said Operation Epic Fury has cost at least $33.4 billion, paid for out of accounts meant to train and maintain the military, even though Congress never approved a dollar specifically for the war ^[9]. The Congressional Budget Office has pegged the cost at more than $38 billion ^[10].

Funding Push Remains at Standstill as Reconciliation Window Narrows

The administration is pushing for a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027 and has looked to pass $350 billion through the partisan reconciliation process. The window for reconciliation is getting narrower as midterm elections approach, according to senators and officials. The White House and Pentagon argue the funding is necessary for long-term national security and to boost a lethal fighting force. The $95 billion House package for the Iran war and other administration priorities has not made much progress in the upper chamber. Outside analysts have questioned the scale of the request. True national security spending – including veterans care, agency budgets and debt interest – is projected to hit $2.5 trillion in 2027, according to an analysis of the proposal, which described massive supplemental "slush funds" that bypass normal congressional scrutiny ^[3]. A Government Accountability Office report found the maintenance backlog for military installations has ballooned to more than $285 billion, up from about $137 billion in 2022, leaving many facilities in disrepair ^[11]. The Pentagon is separately seeking $104 billion for its nuclear weapons programs, a 19.5% increase aimed at modernizing the nuclear triad ^[12]. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported that the Pentagon will require at least three to five years to replenish stocks of Tomahawk, Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missiles used during the 39-day war with Iran ^[13].

Outlook

Pentagon officials are continuing briefings while the administration's push for additional funding remains at a standstill. Senators from both parties said more information, priority lists and transparency are needed before the request can advance. No vote on the full fiscal 2027 defense budget or supplemental has been scheduled. The debate unfolds against a widening fiscal backdrop. The national debt stands at roughly $40 trillion, with interest on that debt exceeding Medicare and Medicaid expenditures, according to commentary from author Scott Horton ^[14]. Critics of the Pentagon budget have pointed to the department's history of failed audits, including five consecutive failures in which billions of dollars could not be accounted for ^[15]. Retired Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich, executive director of the Eisenhower Media Network, wrote in a USA Today advertisement that Americans should challenge "out of control" Pentagon spending as Congress advances the request ^[16].

References

NaturalNews.com. "White House To Submit $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Proposal Amid Iran Conflict". April 6, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Trump Administration Proposes $1.5 Trillion Military Spending Increase for 2027". April 6, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Slush Funds and War Costs: The Hidden Expenses That Could Push Trump's Military Budget Past $2.5 Trillion". April 10, 2026.
The Epoch Times. "Pentagon Asks Industry Leaders to Report Plans to Boost Weapons Production". August 10, 2026.
NTD.com. "Pentagon Expands Missile Interceptor Production With New Boeing, RTX Agreements". August 14, 2026.
The Epoch Times. "Pentagon Awards Major Tomahawk Missile Contract". August 17, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Iran War Costs Reach $25 Billion, Pentagon Reports". May 1, 2026.
Garrison Vance. "Budget Model Projects Up to $47 Billion in U.S. War Costs Through April". NaturalNews.com. April 8, 2026.
JustTheNews.com. "While Congress hasn't funded the Iran war, the Pentagon is stepping up and paying anyway". September 15, 2026.
ZeroHedge.com. "US Interceptor Inventory Took Another Big Hit Last Week, As CBO Pegs War Cost At $38 Billion+". September 16, 2026.
ZeroHedge.com. "A Trillion Dollar Budget But Military Can't 'Afford' To Attack Mold On Bases?". August 29, 2026.
Lance D Johnson. "After the U.S. Targeted Iran's Nuclear Weapon Program, the Pentagon Is Now Seeking $104 Billion for Its Own". NaturalNews.com. April 27, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Pentagon Faces Multi-Year Gap in Missile Stocks After Iran War, Report Says". May 29, 2026.
Mike Adams. "Bright Videos News - Interview with Scott Horton Part 2". BrightVideos.com. April 27, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Pentagon Requests $886 Billion Budget Despite Failing Five Audits Where Billions Vanished Into Financial Black Holes". March 20, 2023.
Brett Wilkins. "'Of the Pentagon, by the Congress, and for the War Profiteers': Ad Blasts Trump Military Budget". Antiwar.com. July 15, 2026.

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