The Department of Defense has released an unclassified version of its spending plan for national security funding, following demands from Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and other Senate Budget Committee Democrats. The release comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth initially classified the reconciliation spending plan, a move that drew criticism from lawmakers who argued it hindered congressional oversight.
Senator Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, expressed concern over the classification, stating it prevented Congress from ensuring funds were used as intended and raised questions about potential misuse. He said, "For an administration that claims to be ‘the most transparent in American history,’ it shouldn’t take Congressional pressure to release an unclassified version of its reconciliation spending plan. Congress has a constitutional duty to follow the money. And at a moment when the Administration is planning to propose a $1.5 trillion defense budget—the largest in American history— transparency and oversight are more essential than ever."
The defense budget saw a significant increase after Republicans added $150 billion through reconciliation, bringing total funding above $900 billion for fiscal year 2026. This marks the highest defense budget in U.S. history. The Trump administration and Secretary Hegseth are now seeking to raise the defense budget further to $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027, representing an increase of more than $500 billion over current levels.
Senator Merkley added, "As Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, I will keep holding Trump and Hegseth accountable and work with my colleagues to tackle waste, fraud, and abuse."
