Senate GOP’s budget blueprint for reconciliation has $150B for defense

Senate Republicans on Friday unveiled a budget resolution that sets a blueprint for passing President Donald Trump’s policy priorities via the reconciliation process, to include adding $150 billion in defense funds over four years.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Senate Budget Committee, detailed the proposal that also calls for $175 billion in homeland security spending, with his panel set to mark up the resolution in coming days.

While Senate Republicans’ budget resolution doesn’t provide a breakdown of the $150 billion for defense, Graham listed priorities of “growing the U.S. Navy and strengthening its industrial base to restore U.S. maritime dominance,” building out integrated air and missile defense capabilities and continued modernization of nuclear defense systems. 

The reconciliation process would allow the Senate to pass billions of dollars in budget-related Trump administration priorities without requiring the 60-vote threshold needed to break the filibuster. 

As for the Democrats, Senate Banking Committee’s ranking member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) released a statement panning the GOP Senate budget outline. Merkley said the GOP would provide “tax breaks to the richest Americans” while cutting Medicaid and other social programs. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reportedly prefers to pass one, all-encompassing reconciliation bill that would also look at addressing the debt ceiling.

Graham said the budget resolution would increase total spending by $85.5 billion for each of the four years, while it “will be paid for by a projected $85.5 billion in reduced annual spending.”

The House Freedom Caucus last month released their own proposal for a two-step reconciliation process that called for including up to $200 billion in defense spending over four years.