US President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled his 2027 budget proposal, aiming to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion (€1.3 trillion). This request comes five weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran and would lift military spending by more than 40% in a single year—the steepest increase since World War II.
To partially offset the increase, Trump also proposed a 10% cut in non-defense spending, "reducing or eliminating woke, weaponized and wasteful programs, and by returning state and local responsibilities to their respective governments," according to the 92-page document. The president's annual budget proposals are nonbinding, but they serve as an indication of the administration's priorities as lawmakers begin drafting legislation; the final federal budget will ultimately be up to Congress to write and pass.
The increased defense budget would cover Trump's controversial Golden Dome missile defense shield, a build-up of critical mineral supplies for the defense industry, and $65.8 billion to build 34 new combat and support ships. The president also requested a 13% increase in Justice Department spending to "maximize" its "capacity to bring violent criminals to justice."
The budget proposals seek to maintain high spending for homeland security and immigration enforcement at $2.2 billion. The administration said that money will pay for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, 41,500 detention beds, and 30,000 "family unit beds." Also among the proposals is a $481 million increase in funding to enhance aviation safety and support hiring more air traffic controllers, and $152 million for Trump's idea to reopen Alcatraz as an active prison.
Trump has targeted several major federal departments in his list of requested cuts, including a 19% decrease for the Agriculture Department, a 12.5% cut for the Health Department, and a 52% cut for the Environmental Protection Agency. One of his proposals slashes more than $15 billion from the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law, including funds for renewable energy projects, and cuts funds to what the Trump administration calls "woke" environmental justice programs.
Democrats swiftly attacked the proposal, with Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, calling it "an out-of-touch plea for more money for guns and bombs, and less for the things people need, like housing, health care, education, roads, scientific research, and environmental protection." Some Republicans backed the proposed military increase, saying it would help move US military spending toward 5% of GDP and ensure the country's military remains the most advanced in the world.
Source: www.dw.com