Democrats and Republicans stall Trump's $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget before midterms

A record request stuck in Congress

Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request, described as a record, is stalled with just over 20 legislative days left in the year. Lawmakers in both parties are deadlocked on the main defense policy and spending bills, which would otherwise help replace the thousands of weapons used during eight months of war with Iran. Thirty people at the center of national security in Congress, 20 of them lawmakers on the committees that oversee the Pentagon, described how the bipartisan consensus broke down. Republicans say Democrats are holding back military money to placate voters angry at Trump, while Democrats argue they are providing a necessary check on an administration that Republican-led chambers have not held accountable for starting a war without congressional approval. Most lawmakers, however, pointed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing withheld information and attacks on Democrats and some Republicans.

Rep. Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat, put the mood in personal terms.

“The people who have been around for a few days have seen what normal looks like.”

Democrats tie the budget to Hegseth

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader seen as a strong contender for speaker if his party wins the election, has said Hegseth must be removed by the president. Otherwise, he warned, Congress would have to deal with the matter through legislative tools. Democrats say they will not vote for any increase in the Pentagon budget while the war with Iran continues to consume national resources. Senator Mark Kelly, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, said Hegseth should have been fired several times and cited the defense secretary's reported plan to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan, the gunman in the Fort Hood attack. Kelly argued that a change at the top of the Pentagon is needed to unlock the annual national security appropriations. Senior parliamentary advisers warn that without compromise from the White House, another government shutdown could come just before the winter holidays.

Russia concessions split the Republicans

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is not seeking reelection, told Politico he does not see why Congress should fund the request. He listed the administration's requests for a supplemental package, a reconciliation law and money for a ballroom, and objected to the authorization of Russian diesel sales, the suspension of Russia sanctions and an unexplained slowdown in a defense satellite program for Ukraine. Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell made a similar point in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, conditioning his support for the budget on a tougher line toward Vladimir Putin. In September, Congress passed a Russia sanctions law by a wide majority, and less than a month after its enactment Trump suspended those measures. The White House says the president only wants to end a war that has lasted for years. Trump is counting on budget reconciliation, a 1974 procedure that lets certain fiscal measures pass the Senate by simple majority rather than the usual 60 votes.

Ad spending and Mar-a-Lago security

TV spots praising the administration, aired in September during programs such as Saturday Night Live and American football games, carried the label "Funded by the US government." Trump said on Truth Social that such spots are a common practice and that future ones would be paid from his supporters' donations. CBS reported that the Department of Homeland Security paid an agency $20 million for a national media campaign, while critics note that taxpayer-funded election advertising is banned in the US. Public Citizen argues the spots do not qualify as public service announcements. Separately, NORAD and Northcom placed ground-based air defense systems on barges near Mar-a-Lago and at Palm Beach International Airport at the request of the Secret Service, a spokesperson said, without specifying a threat. According to WPTV, fighter jets have intercepted more than 60 aircraft violating temporary flight restrictions over Palm Beach since January 2025. Trump is in South Carolina for a rally and is scheduled to appear in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, 30 October.