House Republicans unveil new Pentagon spending proposal, pushing defense budget to over $1 trillion

House Republicans unveiled a new Pentagon spending proposal of $150 billion, which would push the defense budget to more than $1 trillion for the first time in U.S. history.

The legislation, developed by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, was released by House Republicans on Sunday, The Hill news outlet reported. Combining the $150 billion new spending proposal with the $886 billion defense budget already approved for fiscal year 2025 would bring the total Pentagon budget to more than $1 trillion.

The proposed legislation, if passed by Congress and signed into law, aims to increase Pentagon spending by $150 billion, pushing the total defense budget for fiscal 2025 to more than $1 trillion. It includes nearly $25 billion for President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense initiative, which would protect the entire continental United States from advanced missiles. 

Republican lawmakers in the GOP-controlled lower chamber intend to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the legislation, which would allow them to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.

The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to consider and vote on the legislation on Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, R-Alaska, said the defense proposal is “a historic investment” to restore U.S. military capabilities and strengthen the nation's defense.

“Our defense industrial base has weakened. America’s deterrence is failing and without a generational investment in our national defense, we will lose the ability to defeat our adversaries,” Rogers said in a statement. “With this bill, we have the opportunity to get back on track and restore our national security and global leadership.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., called the bill a “generational upgrade” in military capability.

“This is about building the future of American defense, achieving peace through strength, and ultimately deterring war,” he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants to pass the bill out of the lower chamber by the end of May.

"You will have committee markups scheduled in all those 11 committees successively over the next four weeks," Johnson said last week. "And you’re going to see this thing come together. We are pushing it very aggressively on a schedule, as you said, to get it done by Memorial Day."