Hegseth Fails to Win GOP Backing for $350 Billion Defense Boost

3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 24

$350 billion in proposed Pentagon funding failed to win immediate support from House Republicans after Pete Hegseth's hourlong pitch, leaving key votes for a reconciliation bill uncertain.
Republican lawmakers said the administration had not answered how to pay for the increase, with some demanding offsets through other program cuts and stronger fiscal accountability, including a clean Pentagon audit.
Eric Burlison said he would back the package only if it were tied to other conservative priorities such as voting reforms and defunding Planned Parenthood, underscoring how the defense push is colliding with broader GOP demands.
The money would fund munitions upgrades, modernization and the Golden Dome missile-defense initiative, following $150 billion in extra Pentagon spending Congress approved last year through another reconciliation measure.
Because leaders can pass the bill without Democrats only if nearly all Republicans unite, the lukewarm response threatens the administration's latest attempt to expand defense spending.