A handful of GOP senators signaled trouble for the Trump administration as it pushes a controversial $1.5 trillion defense budget, Punchbowl News reported Tuesday.
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Representing a 42% increase from the previous year, the White House is hoping to push through its controversial $1.5 trillion budget proposal through reconciliation, a legislative process that allows bills to advance with a simple majority and bypass the typical 60-vote threshold. The Trump administration is also seeking an additional $78 billion to cover mostly Iran war expenses.
But at least four Senate Republicans – enough to sink the package assuming all Democratic senators remain opposed to the proposal – are signaling trouble for the Trump administration, despite it “desperately needing the cash infusion,” Punchbowl News reported.
“[Sen. Susan Collins (R-MA)] is one of four key Senate Republicans who have said a defense reconciliation package is unlikely to materialize,” Punchbowl News reported. “Reconciliation is President Donald Trump’s preferred vehicle for boosting military FY2027 funding to $1.5 trillion.”
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As for Democratic senators, most, if not all, are likely to reject the White House’s request entirely.
“Democrats are unlikely to back a supplemental given their opposition to a total defense budget of $1.5 trillion, the administration’s slow-walking aid to Ukraine and Trump ignoring Congress during the Iran war,” Punchbowl News’ report reads.
Amid the ongoing negotiations, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been meeting with lawmakers recently in an effort to shore up support for a $350 billion “special budget bill” for additional military spending, though he’s already faced “resistance” from both Republicans and Democrats, The New York Times recently reported.
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