The House Appropriations Committee approved a $831.5 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2026, advancing it to the House floor. The 36-27 vote highlighted partisan divisions, with Democrats expressing concern over the lack of detailed budget justification from the administration and disagreements over specific provisions.
The nine-hour markup session proceeded despite the Trump administration’s failure to release detailed budget materials for fiscal year 2026, prompting criticism from lawmakers who deemed the process flawed. The bill maintains defense discretionary funding at the fiscal year 2025 level. The White House cited a 13% defense spending increase, incorporating $113 billion from a separate reconciliation bill.
The Space Force is slated to receive $29 billion, a modest increase from 2025 but significantly more than the administration’s proposed budget. This reflects Congress’s growing focus on space as a crucial warfighting domain. "Space, which we rely on as our ‘great enabler’ for critical capabilities — communication, navigation, and situational awareness — is a critical but still vulnerable domain," stated Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee.
The bill faced opposition due to the absence of complete Defense Department budget justification materials. Critics also opposed cuts to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and reductions in medical research and military construction. Senate appropriators voiced similar concerns during a hearing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) described using reconciliation to fund defense as a "shell game".
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) labeled the budget delay by the Office of Management and Budget as "historic" and "unacceptable". Hegseth attributed the delay to the need to align the budget with President Trump’s priorities, promising a detailed proposal "soon".
The bill includes provisions to streamline Space Force acquisitions, proposing a pilot program to create mission-focused offices with responsibility for a mission's entire life cycle. The report highlights the need for improved technical expertise among program managers, particularly given the increasing complexity of space systems. "The issue of program manager technical competency is more critical than ever as defense systems and weapons platforms are more technologically complex than ever, such as with space systems," the report emphasizes. This focus reflects the Space Force’s unique budget profile, with a large portion dedicated to acquisition, particularly for initiatives like Golden Dome.
The committee emphasized the need for “senior leaders [to] focus more attention on developing and promoting guardians with technical expertise and acquisition experience” as space systems become increasingly vital to military operations.