The White House has proposed a defense budget of $1.5 trillion, aiming to balance capacity, capability, and readiness. This proposal requires Congress to overcome federal budget dysfunction and align fiscal measures with national defense priorities.
Each year, elected leaders are tasked with ensuring national defense, yet political divisions led to last year’s historic government shutdown. Positive developments emerged, such as the 2025 budget reconciliation, which provided $150 billion in mandatory defense spending and reformed funding processes.
The 2027 budget seeks a repeat, expecting a $350 billion mandatory budget infusion. Congress has introduced measures to safeguard federal workers’ pay and enforce stopgap funding. The Shutdown Fairness Act ensures pay for federal employees during shutdowns, while the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act introduces automatic funding stopgaps and travel restrictions during impasses.
Despite these initiatives, a comprehensive solution remains necessary. A viable approach must penalize budget delays, ensuring sustainability and bipartisan cooperation. Three strategies are proposed:
- Link congress members’ pay to timely appropriations, imposing a 10% pay cut weekly until budgets are passed.
- Connect reelection eligibility to fiscal performance, with consequences for missing deadlines.
- Prioritize budget appropriations over other congressional activities post-fiscal year.
These measures emphasize Congress’s duty to fulfill its role, directly involving all members and reducing costly, ongoing resolutions.
For optimal defense spending, Congress must advance last year’s progress, refining appropriation processes and oversight. Initiatives include updated reprogramming thresholds, consolidating budget items, and multi-year procurement authority. An overhaul of reporting requirements and appropriation line items, aligned with modern contracting and congressional oversight systems, is essential.
Addressing these budgetary gaps can restore America’s military competitiveness and global standing. Congress has the opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the government by finalizing these reforms ahead of the midterm elections.
Elaine McCusker, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, previously served as the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary of defense (comptroller).
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