美国白宫预算管理局局长拉塞尔·沃特周三告诉众议院委员会，增加美国武器生产并建造更多船只、飞机和无人机的努力将需要巨额的前期投资。
沃特的证词启动了白宫的计划，即将下一财年的国防开支从今年的近 1 万亿美元增加到近 1.5 万亿美元，同时将健康研究、取暖补助和其他数十项国内计划整体削减约 10%。此类削减不包括社会保障和医疗保险等强制性支出。
关于该提议的辩论凸显了严重的立场分歧，这将影响到期中选举前的一些重大政策辩论，届时选民将对国家的发展方向拥有最终决定权。
沃特告诉立法者：“为了让工业基础规模翻倍或三倍，并建造更多设施而不仅仅是增加班次，需要签署面向未来的多年采购协议。这笔成本必须计入第一年的账目中。”
白宫呼吁通过常规拨款程序为国防提供约 1.1 万亿美元，这通常需要两党的支持。另外的 3500 亿美元将通过一项单独的法案提供，共和党人可以利用其多数席位自行完成。
众议员布兰登·博伊尔表示，他相信强大的国防，但他认为将国防开支增加 40% 以上同时削减民生项目的做法，体现了特朗普政府的优先事项。
WASHINGTON (AP) — An effort to ramp up U.S. weapons production and build more ships, planes and drones will require a massive upfront investment, President Donald Trump’s budget director told a House committee Wednesday.The testimony from Russell Vought jump-starts the White House’s push to increase defense spending to nearly $1.5 trillion in the next budget year, up from nearly $1 trillion this year, while cutting health research, heating assistance and scores of other domestic programs by about 10% overall. Such cuts do not cover mandatory spending, which includes such programs as Social Security and Medicare.The debate over Trump’s proposal underscored the sharp divide that will shape some of the most significant policy debates going into a midterm election that will give voters the ultimate say on the direction of the country.“For the industrial base to double or triple and build more facilities, not just add shifts, it requires multiyear agreements to purchase into the future,” Vought told lawmakers. “That cost has to be booked in this first year.”WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 15: Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought testifies during a House Committee On The Budget hearing on the president's 2027 budget request, at the Canon House Office Building in Washington, DC on April 15, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe White House is calling for about $1.1 trillion for defense through the regular appropriations process, which typically requires support from both parties for approval. An additional $350 billion would come through a separate bill that Republicans can accomplish on their own, through party-line majority votes.Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, said he believes in a strong national defense. But he said the idea of increasing defense by more than 40% while cutting programs that people need shows that the Republican administration’s priorities are “out of whack.”The committee chairman, Rep. Jodey Arrington predicted the hearing would be more “amped up” than usual, and that proved to be true, beginning with his opening statement focused on criticizing Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency. Arrington, R-Texas, said he did not know of any president in his lifetime who “inherited such a complete and utter mess as President Trump did in January of last year.”Since then, Arrington said, Trump has secured the border, cut taxes and constrained nondefense spending.It was the beginning of several back-and-forths at the hearing.“You know how bad this economy is when we hear Joe Biden being invoked, we hear trans people being invoked. I was waiting for Jimmy Carter to be blamed next,” Boyle said in response to Arrington’s opening remarks.Boyle said consumer confidence is plummeting under Trump and noted a gas station he passed in Philadelphia recently was selling gas at $4.11 a gallon versus less than $3 a gallon some six weeks ago because of