WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) blasted the Department of Defense (DoD) for not presenting the committee with a full year 2026 fiscal budget that fully reflects the department’s funding priorities and needs. In an unprecedented move, the DoD is submitting its FY2026 budget in two pieces – the core budget that reflects no increase in spending, and an additional budget via the GOP reconciliation bill to make up the difference and match the threats facing the United States.

In the conversation with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, King suggested that the DoD budget needs to be presented to the committee in its entirety to prevent a yearly partisan decision making process.

“Let me talk about the budget. I don't understand why the budget is coming to us in two pieces. Why not give us an honest base budget instead of putting a piece of it in reconciliation? As I understand it, OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) is saying we are going to have a flat defense budget for the next four or five years. Are we playing reconciliation every year from now on? Why not give us an honest budget telling us what your priorities are, and we can consider it. This committee always works on a bipartisan basis on the defense budget. We all want to see some increases in the defense budget, yet you are giving us this fake [version] — here is a piece of the project, here is another. In the base budget you are cutting ship building in half and saying, well we’re going to make it up in reconciliation. Are we going to have reconciliation every year? Which basically puts a significant part, 10% or 15% of the defense budget in a wholly partisan decision-making process, whereas in the history of this committee it has always been bipartisan. Why are we doing it this way,” asked Senator King.

“Senator, from our view the budget number, $961 [billion], meets the requirements for threats we face,” responded Secretary Hegseth.

“That's not the number. The number is $892.6 [billion]. You’re adding reconciliation. That is my whole point. Why not give us a base budget of $961 [billion] or whatever the right number is? What you consider the right number and then we can operate and make our decisions? Why do it in this bifurcated way that really is fooling the American people about what the defense budget is,” Senator King questioned.  

Secretary Hegseth replied,” We are not trying to fool anybody, sir. It is two bills, one budget. We’re working with OMB. I feel very comfortable with the number of $961 billion.”

“That’s not my question. Why is it being done this way? Why is it being done this way? Why don't you give us a straight up budget for the defense department? That is my question,” said Senator King.

“Senator, this is a straight up budget for the defense department. It’s a 13% increase over what Joe Biden gave us,” responded Secretary Hegseth.

Senator King replied, “It is not. It is a two-part defense budget. Part of it is in reconciliation instead of in the budget that is being presented to this committee. This committee only has a partial review of the budget. I don’t understand why we can’t have an honest, straight forward, budget instead of this son of OCO (overseas contingency operation), that you’re putting over on us.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator King has long championed sound fiscal Defense funding for priorities in Maine and across the United States. Maine defense industries, University of Maine, and the Maine National Guard rely on annual funding levels and Defense Department budget details to plan investments and maintain their workforce. There is over $4 billion in defense business conducted annually in Maine impacting every county. Budget bills help these stakeholders with short-term and long-term forecasting and are economic drivers for the state of Maine.

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