Trump's Blueprint for a Military Boost: An Unsettling Shift for Non-Defense Spending
The Trump government announces budget plan, emphasizing a significant increase in defense spending
Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., gives the scoop on the Trump administration's $136 billion budget cuts to various government programs to Maria Bartiromo on 'Mornings with Maria'.
The Trump administration, in a bold move coming Friday, is planning to reveal its "skinny" budget blueprint, shedding light on topline spending numbers from the White House. This moves us closer to a larger request for the defense budget, which could potentially surpass the $1 trillion threshold for the very first time, reaching $1.01 trillion.
Insiders at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have spilled the beans to FOX Business that the overall discretionary budget will be a staggering $1.7 trillion. The discretionary budget, which excludes Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt, clearly prioritizes national security.
The defense budget, at $892.6 billion, remains steady compared to fiscal year 2025, suggesting an unchanged defense discretionary budget. Meanwhile, the non-defense discretionary budget, which is slated to ring in at about $557 billion, experiences a 22.6% dive – the lowest since 2017 (or since 2000 when adjusted for inflation).
The White House and GOP leaders then plan to pursue additional $150 billion in mandatory defense spending through the budget reconciliation process linked to the tax cut package. When combined, defense spending bolsters a hefty 13.4% increase.
A part of the budget blueprint includes investments in the Gold Dome next-generation missile defense system and providing funding for military shipyards and the modernization of the military's nuclear deterrent. The F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance platform is also earmarked for funding. U.S. servicemembers would receive a modest 3.8% pay raise, as per the proposal.
Among the departments asked to provide budget cuts, only the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Transportation have been excluded, with a nod to preserving veterans' services and space exploration programs.
The "skinny budget" serves as a high-level outline and varies from the comprehensive budget proposal the White House is expected to produce each year. The full budget proposals provide more intricate details about discretionary programs and economic projections. As a rule, presidential budget proposals act as a guide for negotiations with Congress on spending levels rather than being enacted as written by lawmakers.
Nevertheless, with a Republican-dominated Congress, the Trump administration appears optimistic about receiving approval for its budget plans. Although this preliminary blueprint offers a glimpse into the administration's aspirations, its future effect is heavily contingent on congressional consensus.
Note: The FY2026 budget proposal presented here includes substantial changes in discretionary spending:
Defense Spending Proposes a steep 13% increase, swimming closer to the $1.01 trillion milestone for defense spending (as compared to FY2021).
Non-Defense Discretionary Spending Aggressively targets a whopping 22.6% plunge—reducing it to $557 billion (in comparison to FY2021). Programs involving housing (e.g., Housing Choice Voucher cuts), renewable energy, education, and foreign aid are under attack.
The "skinny budget" is a preliminary plan representing FY2026, and not FY2021. This proposal does not directly affect the current FY2021 budget. The Trump administration's focus shifts towards scaling down non-defense programs while boosting military funding, though Congress holds ultimate authority over budget decisions.
For context, the previous FY2021 budget (not shown in current results) allocated $740.5 billion for defense and $661.7 billion for non-defense spending under Trump's administration. The new FY2026 proposal notably tiptoes towards a stark reverse in that Spending balance.
- The defense budget, at $892.6 billion, remains steady compared to fiscal year 2025, suggestive of an unchanged defense discretionary budget.
- The non-defense discretionary budget, which is slated to ring in at about $557 billion, experiences a 22.6% dive – the lowest since 2017 (or since 2000 when adjusted for inflation).
- The White House and GOP leaders then plan to pursue additional $150 billion in mandatory defense spending through the budget reconciliation process linked to the tax cut package.
- U.S. servicemembers would receive a modest 3.8% pay raise, as per the proposal.
- The F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance platform is also earmarked for funding in the budget blueprint.
- Among the departments asked to provide budget cuts, only the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Transportation have been excluded, with a nod to preserving veterans' services and space exploration programs.
- The new FY2026 proposal notably tiptoes towards a stark reverse in the spending balance between defense and non-defense programs, with a proposed 13% increase in defense spending and a 22.6% reduction in non-defense spending.
