Defense Appropriations

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a comprehensive plan to accelerate the Pentagon’s acquisition process, aiming to deliver new weapons and systems faster.

Since Congress failed to pass normal appropriations or a stopgap budget before the start of the fiscal year on Tuesday, the federal government is officially shut down.

Three associations that combine to represent all of the nation’s nearly 800,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists are urging congressional leaders to pass fiscal 2026 appropriations for defense, military construction and veterans affairs.

Senate lawmakers hit the ground running Tuesday by voting to proceed to debate on the annual defense policy bill.

The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a defense appropriations measure providing $851.9 billion in discretionary spending, which is 2.5% above the president’s fiscal 2026 request.

Prominent Republicans are saying President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 defense budget request does not deliver the “unprecedented” increase in defense and border security the White House claims.

NGAUS has requested Congress fund several items in its fiscal 2025 defense appropriations bill that would "significantly impact" the National Guard.

Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a lame-duck session to complete the 118th Congress' business, including addressing the nation's annual defense policy bill and funding the federal government for fiscal 2025.

Fiscal 2025 has begun on a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government open but puts many military modernization programs on hold.

Congressional leaders announced Sunday that they had agreed on a bipartisan bill to fund government agencies through Dec. 20.

Congress is back to work after its August recess, tackling unfinished defense spending measures, fixing a massive Department of Veterans Affairs budget shortfall and passing a continuing resolution before Oct. 1, the start of a new fiscal year.

The Army National Guard has ordered its first 12 MQ-1C Gray Eagle 25M unmanned aircraft systems from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., the company announced May 31.