U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Congress to pass the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal.
Hegseth made the appeal in a speech on Monday at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina. During the speech, the base, which the U.S. Air Force will rename in honor of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, was also discussed.
Describing the proposed spending package as “historic,” Hegseth used the Trump administration’s preferred term “War Department” for the Department of Defense. The secretary said the $1.5 trillion budget would be a historic investment in U.S. service members that would endure for generations.
Hegseth also said Graham had told him that the proposal was the “best military budget” he had seen during his time in Congress. Describing the renaming of the base in Graham’s honor as a tribute to the senator, Hegseth argued that fully funding the defense package would be an important part of Graham’s legacy and one of his final major achievements.
During these remarks, Hegseth said Graham had served in the U.S. military for 33 years.
The proposal failed to advance in Congress
The $1.5 trillion spending plan at the center of the Trump administration’s defense agenda faced uncertainty after Congress failed to reach an agreement before senators went into their summer recess last week.
The plan calls for a significant increase in military spending, the construction of a new class of warships and the development of the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system.
Opponents of the bill object to funding the ongoing war with Iran and describe the spending as illegal and unconstitutional. They argue that increased spending is wasteful and unnecessary at a time when the public is under pressure from rising prices and a weak economy.
Despite Hegseth’s visits to meet with members of Congress, Republicans have yet to secure the support needed to advance the record-sized proposal in the face of Democratic opposition.
