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To Secure Peace, Congress Must First Fund Strength
Earlier today, the White House released President Trump’s 2027 budget request, calling on Congress to fund a historic military buildup. The American people are counting on Congress to meet the moment and provide the Trump Administration the resources it needs to keep our adversaries on the run and defend the homeland.
Key Points
- On Friday, the Office of Management and Budget submitted President Trump’s FY 2027 defense budget request to Congress, proposing $1.5 trillion in total defense resources. Lawmakers should fund it in full and without delay.
- By advancing the largest defense budget in history, the White House is correcting years of underinvestment in our military. The Biden Administration believed in Peace Through Slogans; Trump’s budget is the playbook for Peace Through Strength.
- This is slated to be the greatest generational defense investment in 75 years, driving the U.S. toward a buildup rivaling that of Reagan. Congress must reverse Biden’s defense cuts and help the President launch America’s military comeback.
- America won’t stop future wars by cutting corners on the funding needed to deter them. This defense buildup is vital to countering China and preparing our military for tomorrow’ threats. Peace is secured when our adversaries fear American power.
No More Delays on Defense
- The U.S. faces a highly dangerous global threat environment: the most complex nuclear challenge in history, China’s military buildup, Russia’s attacks on NATO’s east flank, Middle East terrorism, hostile regimes in the Americas, and more.
- The dangers are even greater thanks to threats on the home front. The far-left is still holding the Department of Homeland Security hostage, abetting foreign influence operations, and trying to constrain the commander-in-chief’s constitutional war powers.
- Despite these threats, defense spending has declined for 35 years. As a share of federal outlays, U.S. military funding fell from 28.1% in 1987 to just 13.7% in FY2025. Just one in eight federal dollars went to national defense–the government’s top duty.
- Military spending has also dropped as a share of GDP over the last 50 years. In FY2025, the U.S. spent 3.1% of total GDP on the U.S. military, far smaller than the last time we faced other superpower rivals.
- Biden’s cuts left our military with its smallest budget since before WWII, while China launched the most rapid peacetime military buildup ever. Last year, the CCP spent more on its military than the next 17 largest Indo-Pacific nations–combined.
America’s Military Needs More Investment–Now
- America’s arsenal is exposed. After years of drawdowns and underfunding, our munitions stockpiles have been driven to critically low levels. Projections indicate the U.S. military could burn through its missiles and weapons within weeks in a China war.
- Operation Epic Fury reinforces the need to replenish our stockpiles. Our forces have expended over 6,000 munitions, including 320 (46%) of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles, 198 (40%) of THAAD interceptors, 402 Patriot Missiles, and 535 (17%) of the U.S.’s supply of Tomahawk Missiles.
- The challenge is compounded by a defense industrial base that remains too thin, too slow, and too weak. America will not outcompete China with half-measures from Congress that fail to address our bottlenecks and fragile supply chains.
- Our arsenal was built for yesterday’s world, not tomorrow’s threats. Congress must stop treating security with budgetary business-as-usual and recognize the task before us–a whole-of-nation rearmament effort to restore our national defense.
- We won’t deter great-power conflict on the cheap. The only path to peace is to expand production across the munitions base, from THAAD interceptor seekers to Precision Strike Missiles and other critical systems. This budget will bring thousands of manufacturing and industrial jobs back to Americans.
Trump’s Defense Buildup Can Keep America Safe
- Congress is not being asked to do something extravagant. It is being asked to meet the most basic military obligation of the government: refill the arsenal. It would be security malpractice to leave the U.S. military under-resourced for the next fight.
- President Trump’s defense budget is the playbook to counter these threats. With Congress’ funding, our military can rapidly procure twelve critical munitions, advance the Golden Dome, invest in critical minerals, and strengthen our supply chains.
- The proposal would also launch America’s shipbuilding comeback, with dozens of orders and a WWII-level scale. Today, China’s naval shipbuilding capacity far exceeds our own; we won’t rival their capabilities without addressing today’s shortfalls.
- This defense buildup would also enable other vital initiatives, including the Golden Dome–a state-of-the-art program for missile defense–as well as fixing shortfalls with our National Defense Stockpile and strengthening our critical minerals security.
Fiscal Concerns Cannot Negate National Security
- Washington needs to rein in federal spending and conservatives are right to demand cost-cutting. But sacrificing national defense on the altar of spending cuts is a false choice–and inviting threats would only cost taxpayers more later.
- A trillion-dollar deterrent is cheaper than a multi-trillion-dollar war. This is not a choice between fiscal restraint and financial waste. It is a choice between investing in military readiness to close dangerous gaps now or paying far more in a war later.
- This budget is a responsible step that strengthens national security without unnecessary waste. The Trump Administration has already saved taxpayers billions by cutting bureaucratic waste at the Pentagon and is even using reconciliation to circumvent the left’s spending demands.
- Facing generational threats requires generational investments. Congress has a responsibility to provide the President with the negotiating leverage and military tools to protect the homeland. America First starts with the security of the American people.
Americans Demand Action on Defense
- The polling is clear: A bipartisan majority of Americans not only want the U.S. to retain the strongest military power in the world—they back building a larger, more capable force than the one we have today.
- MAGA Republicans feel even more strongly: An overwhelming majority demands more defense spending. America First conservatives want Congress to back this budget, so it’s no surprise the far-left opposes it and is hoping conservatives will block it for them.
