House Republican appropriators are publicly breaking with the Trump White House over what they call a “risky and uncoordinated” strategy to fund the U.S. military, warning that the administration is trying to push critical defense spending through a party-line reconciliation bill that may never reach the president’s desk.
In an official addendum to the chamber’s defense funding bill obtained by Politico, House appropriators warned that the White House is attempting to fund critical efforts, including weapons and military equipment, through the reconciliation process rather than using it to supplement regular government funding bills. The two vehicles operate on “entirely separate tracks, with different timelines, committees of jurisdiction, and approval processes,” appropriators noted.
The rebuke singles out Trump’s decision to split funding for the F-35 fighter jet, the most expensive weapons program in Pentagon history, between the annual government funding bill and the reconciliation package.
Analysts said last month the Pentagon’s decision to split defense spending between the base budget and a reconciliation package has left members of Congress uncertain about what they’re even voting to fund, with one expert calling the situation “symbolic of the disorder and chaos.”
The outlook for another reconciliation vehicle remains uncertain.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and Defense subcommittee chair Mitch McConnell have both raised open concerns about Trump’s demand for a $350 billion “Recon 3.0” package. Punchbowl News has described the prospects as “bleak.”
The friction comes as the Pentagon is reportedly running low on cash reserves due to the ongoing war with Iran, with lawmakers demanding cost transparency that the White House has yet to provide.
Many House Republicans privately doubt GOP leaders can muscle another reconciliation package through the Senate before the fiscal year ends in October.
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