Appropriators made clear Tuesday they’re deeply uncomfortable with funneling a massive chunk of the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget request through the unpredictable reconciliation process.
In House and Senate appropriations hearings, lawmakers of both parties said major Pentagon priorities, like the Golden Dome missile defense shield, need reliable funding that the reconciliation process cannot provide.
“The way this budget request is structured matters,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “Political realities will not always allow for party-line reconciliation.”
