WASHINGTON — Congressional protection hawks within the Senate are as soon as once more pushing to spice up the topline of the protection price range in fiscal 2026, however as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill in September, they must face an much more urgent query: Will they be capable to go a full-year spending invoice in any respect?
Congress failed at passing FY25 appropriations after talks between Republicans and Democrats broke down, ensuing within the approval of a full yr persevering with decision in March. The invoice marked the primary time the Protection Division can have been funded beneath a CR for a whole yr.
This yr, the price range course of has been much more tumultuous — even with Republican management of each the Home and the Senate — elevating questions on whether or not the Pentagon is heading towards one other full-year funding extension.
For a lot of the yr, lawmakers have been wrapped up in passing reconciliation laws often called the One Large Stunning Invoice, a Trump-backed megabill that contained an additional $150 billion in protection funding in addition to different precedence objects.
In the meantime, the Pentagon has dragged its toes in presenting its personal price range request for FY26, placing out some price range paperwork in late June whereas different extra detailed justification paperwork are nonetheless but to be launched or introduced to Congress. (Home appropriators drafted their model of the FY26 protection invoice with out having seen the Pentagon’s price range proposal.)
With the clock ticking till authorities funding runs out when the brand new fiscal yr begins on Oct. 1, Congress’s first order of enterprise upon its return from recess subsequent week can be teeing up and passing a short-term persevering with decision that can give lawmakers time to work out a spending settlement.
After that, the Home and Senate will begin the tougher work of hammering out appropriations payments, with the Home selling a invoice that adheres to the Protection Division’s flat $848 billion price range request and the Senate advocating for a topline funding bump of upwards of $22 billion.
In the meantime, neither chamber has taken its model of the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act to the ground but, however the Senate is slated to start out debate on its NDAA as quickly as lawmakers return in September.
Some consultants say variations within the varied protection payments won’t finally matter.
“Probably the most possible consequence, in our view, for FY26 discretionary spending is a full-year persevering with decision much like what occurred in FY25,” Byron Callan of Capital Alpha Companions mentioned in an Aug. 1 be aware after the Senate Appropriations Committee handed its variations of the protection invoice out of committee. “That may hold DoD discretionary on the similar stage as FY25 for FY26, however we might count on extra anomalies to permit price will increase and new begins.”
As Capitol Hill will get all the way down to enterprise, right here’s a have a look at how the Pentagon and every congressional protection committee is approaching 12 main points this price range season:
Protection Funds Topline
Topline price range numbers among the many appropriations and authorizing committees aren’t apples to apples, with no single invoice containing the entire of nationwide protection spending.
The NDAA — which sanctions funds however doesn’t really obligate them — consists of the Protection Division in addition to protection spending throughout the Division of Power, however doesn’t embody about $11.5 billion in nationwide safety spending exterior the jurisdiction of the Home and Senate armed providers committees.
In the meantime, Home and Senate protection appropriations payments cowl a lot of the Protection Division and a few intelligence-related spending, however not protection spending on the Division of Power or navy development spending.
President’s price range: The Protection Division requested $848.3 billion in discretionary funds for fiscal 2026, flat with the enacted full-year persevering with decision for FY25.
Reconciliation: The reconciliation invoice added $150 billion in obligatory funds obtainable throughout the Trump administration. The Pentagon intends to make use of $113.3 billion of that funding in FY26.
HASC NDAA: Authorizes $882.6 billion in protection spending, together with $848.3 billion for the Protection Division.
SASC NDAA: Boosts protection spending by $32 billion to $913.9 billion in protection spending, with $ 878.7 billion for the Protection Division.
Home protection appropriations: Adheres to OMB-approved quantity by appropriating $831.5 billion.
Senate protection appropriations: Contains $851.9 billion, rising protection funding by about $22 billion.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
President’s price range: Purchases 47 F-35s: 24 F-35As, 11 F-35Bs and 12 F-35Cs.
Reconciliation invoice: Didn’t add cash for extra F-35s.
HASC NDAA: Authorizes the 47 F-35s requested by the division.
SASC NDAA: Authorizes 57 F-35s, including 10 F-35As.
Home protection appropriations: Provides funds for a complete of 69 F-35s, together with 42 F-35As, 13 F-35Bs and 14 F-35Cs.
Senate protection appropriations: Funds the 47 F-35s requested within the price range.
Golden Dome
President’s price range: Outdoors of the reconciliation spending, the division’s price range request consists of no funding particularly earmarked for Golden Dome.
Reconciliation: Contains $25 billion in Golden Dome spending, all of which the division intends to make use of in FY26.
HASC NDAA: Modifies nationwide missile protection coverage to incorporate the deployment of a next-generation missile defend for the US homeland akin to Golden Dome, and requires yearly studies on Golden Dome.
SASC NDAA: Modifies nationwide missile protection coverage to mirror Golden Dome and codifies the place of Direct Reporting Program Supervisor (DRPM) for Golden Dome.
Home protection appropriations: The invoice comprises $13 billion in house and missile protection funds that appropriators mentioned may fall beneath the Golden Dome umbrella, damaged down into $8.8 billion for Missile Protection Company applications and $4.1 billion for House Drive applications.
Senate protection appropriations: The invoice report states that the Pentagon “has not but offered the Committee with sufficiently detailed proposals to precisely assess” Golden Dome, and requires a briefing on its price, structure and acquisition technique.
F-15EX
President’s price range: No plane funded by way of discretionary price range.
Reconciliation: Included $3.1 billion to extend F-15EX manufacturing. The Pentagon intends to make use of that cash to purchase 21 F-15EXs in FY26.
HASC NDAA: Conforms to DoD suggestions.
SASC NDAA: Conforms to DoD suggestions.
Home protection appropriations: Provides $345 million for the procurement of three F–15EX plane.
Senate protection appropriations: Conforms to DoD suggestions.
E-7 Wedgetail
President’s price range: Cancelled this system attributable to survivability and value considerations, however included $199 million to wrap up present actions.
Reconciliation: Didn’t tackle the E-7.
HASC NDAA: Provides $600 million to proceed the fast prototyping program for a complete of $799 million.
SASC NDAA: Provides $700 million to proceed improvement and procurement, for a complete of $899 million.
Home protection appropriations: Features a complete of $500 million to proceed the E-7 program.
Senate protection appropriations: Provides $647 million for a complete of $846 million.
A-10 Retirement
President’s Funds: Retires the remaining A-10 Warthogs in FY26.
Reconciliation: Didn’t tackle the A-10.
HASC NDAA: Through the markup course of, HASC handed an modification prohibiting retirements of any A-10s in FY26.
SASC NDAA: Mandates that the Air Drive retain 103 A-10s in its stock.
Home protection appropriations: Didn’t tackle the A-10 retirement.
Senate protection appropriations: Didn’t tackle the A-10 retirement.
F/A-XX
President’s price range: Contains $74 million, with this system at present beneath evaluation. The White Home has mentioned extra congressional funding to proceed the brand new naval fighter may pressure the protection aviation industrial base and “delay the higher-priority F-47 program.”
Reconciliation: $750 million to “speed up” the F/A-XX program
HASC NDAA: Didn’t embody extra funding attributable to reconciliation funds.
SASC NDAA: Provides $500 million to F/A-XX by way of “Hyperlink Plumeria” particular entry program code.
Home protection appropriations: Added $971 million to proceed improvement of the F/A–XX program with the intent of accelerating preliminary operational functionality. Additionally directs the Navy to supply an up to date schedule for awarding the engineering, manufacturing and design contract.
Senate protection appropriations: Added about $1.4 billion to proceed F/A-XX improvement.
E-2D
President’s price range: 4 plane
Reconciliation invoice: Not included in reconciliation invoice.
HASC NDAA: 4 plane
SASC NDAA: Strips $1.5 billion from this system, described within the committee report as “E-2D cancellation.”
Home protection appropriations: 4 plane
Senate protection appropriations: Strips about $1.5 billion, cancelling the procurement of 4 plane.
Touchdown Ship Medium
President’s price range: No discretionary funding is requested in FY26.
Reconciliation invoice: The Pentagon goals to make use of reconciliation funds to acquire 9 LSMs in FY26. Congressional steerage states that funding within the reconciliation would permit the division to buy eight LSMs.
HASC NDAA: Adheres to the president’s price range.
SASC NDAA: Adheres to the president’s price range.
Home protection appropriations: Provides $225 million for one ship.
Senate protection appropriations: Adheres to the president’s price range.
Joint Gentle Tactical Car
President’s price range: The Military canceled additional procurement of the JLTV, whereas the Marine Corps included about $82 million to purchase 138 JLTVs.
Reconciliation: Doesn’t embody funding for JLTV.
HASC NDAA: Conformed to DoD suggestions
SASC NDAA: Provides $168 million for 224 extra JLTVs for the Marine Corps.
Home protection appropriations: Included $345 million for 863 JLTVs for the Military, and $169 million for 224 JLTVs for the Marine Corps.
Senate protection appropriations: Conforms to DoD suggestions, directs the Marine Corps to supply an up to date acquisition technique.
Improved Turbine Engine Program
President’s price range: Doesn’t embody funding.
Reconciliation: Congress included $63 million for “for improvement of superior rotary-wing engines.” Congressional steerage stipulates this funding is supposed to proceed the ITEP program.
HASC NDAA: Doesn’t embody funding.
SASC NDAA: Doesn’t embody funding.
Home protection appropriations: $175 million for the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP)
Senate protection appropriations: Doesn’t embody funding.
Ukraine
President’s price range: The Pentagon didn’t embody cash for Ukraine within the price range request.
Reconciliation: Didn’t embody funding for Ukraine.
HASC NDAA: The chairman’s mark included $300 million for the Ukraine Safety Help Initiative, and lawmakers added one other $100 million throughout the markup course of, for a complete of $400 million.
SASC NDAA: Provides $500 million for USAI
Home protection appropriations: Home appropriators didn’t embody cash for Ukraine within the spending invoice. (https://breakingdefense.com/2025/07/house-passes-832b-defense-appropriations-bill/)
Senate protection appropriations: Provides $800 million for USAI
