Congressional Republicans are seeking a $150 billion defense spending boost in the upcoming reconciliation bill, with $25 billion earmarked for President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome for America” missile defense project.
The bill text – released over the weekend – spreads the proposed Defense Department (DoD) funding boost across 12 focus areas with the Golden Dome project emerging as the second-largest item on the list for the additional spending.
President Trump launched the Golden Dome project via for an executive order earlier this year calling for the development of the new missile defense system.
If approved by Congress, the legislation would fund Trump’s vision of a layered missile defense shield, fast-tracking the development of space-based assets and ramping up efforts to counter emerging hypersonic threats. The project also would accelerate the rollout of existing defense systems and upgrades the infrastructure needed to support them.
The $25 billion allocation marks the first major funding injection for the project. Though still in its conceptual phase, the Golden Dome initiative has the potential to become one of the largest and most expensive defense procurement efforts in U.S. history.
Adding to the momentum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that President Trump’s proposed $1 trillion annual defense budget for fiscal year 2026 is expected to further accelerate the project’s development.
In a joint statement, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said that the proposed defense spending increase marks an investment “in defense priorities to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda.”
“This legislation represents a generational upgrade for our nation’s defense capabilities, including historic investments in new technology … This is about building the future of American defense, achieving peace through strength, and ultimately deterring war,” Wicker said.
The defense spending portion of the bill will be included in a broader reconciliation package to advance key Trump Administration priorities, allowing Republicans to bypass the Senate filibuster with a simple majority vote. The process began earlier this month when the House and Senate passed a budget resolution.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, voiced strong opposition to the reconciliation approach, criticizing both the legislative strategy and its potential impact on social programs.
“While there may be bipartisan support for investing in defense spending that supports the quality of life of our service members and their families, readiness, innovation, and modernization, these investments should be considered through the normal authorization and appropriations process,” Smith said in a statement.
The House Armed Services Committee will review the defense portion in a markup session on Tuesday, where Democrats will be allowed to offer amendments.
Once the bill is reported out, it will move to the House Budget Committee. There it will be combined with legislation from 10 other committees to form the final reconciliation package, which House Republicans aim to pass by May before sending it to the Senate.