House Republicans Eye $150 Billion Hike In Pentagon Funding

House Republicans are planning to propose a $150 billion increase in Pentagon spending as part of a major bill backed only by their party. This shift moves away from an earlier plan for a smaller defense budget and brings the House in line with similar proposals from the Senate.

The information comes from three people familiar with the discussions, who spoke anonymously because the talks are private, Politico reported. This decision is seen as a victory for lawmakers who strongly support more military funding.

GOP Lawmakers Aim to Maximize Military Funding

These defense advocates have been pushing to take advantage of the GOP's control of both Congress and the White House to boost military spending as much as possible.

The House Armed Services Committee is set to review its part of the Republicans' large policy package next week, once lawmakers return from their break. At that time, different committees will start working on their sections of the wide-ranging domestic legislation.

By supporting a bigger increase in defense spending, House Republicans are trying to avoid one of the expected major disagreements with the Senate as both sides work to move forward with President Donald Trump's policy goals.

However, Republicans still need to resolve internal disagreements, especially on how much to cut Medicaid, how big the tax breaks should be, and how to cover the overall cost of the package. The news about the higher defense spending plan in the House was first reported by Punchbowl News.

Senate Backs Larger Defense Hike

Earlier this month, the Senate proposed a $150 billion increase in defense spending, while the House initially aimed for $100 billion. However, the House can still raise its target with a majority vote.

So far, neither the House nor the Senate has released full defense legislation, but the final version is expected to cover both urgent needs and long-term military programs.

House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers said the upcoming defense package, set for review on Tuesday, will help fund a stronger military presence at the southern border. It may also include support for Navy shipbuilding, nuclear weapons upgrades, space programs, and Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense.

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker is focused on major investments in key areas like munitions production, advanced drones, and nuclear modernization.