House defense appropriators Monday released their $831.5 billion fiscal 2026 defense spending bill as the White House has yet to submit a detailed budget request.
The bill aligns with the administration’s plan to factor in reconciliation funds to achieve a $1 trillion total topline.
The full House Appropriations Committee will consider the legislation this week, which represents flat discretionary spending in comparison to current fiscal ‘25 enacted levels.
“Together, with the significant defense funding advancing through Congress as part of the reconciliation process, the FY26 bill will lift total defense spending over $1 trillion in the next fiscal year, representing a historic commitment to strengthening and modernizing America’s national defense,” Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, said in a statement.
The White House in May rolled out a “skinny” budget outline for fiscal 2026, touting an “unprecedented” 13% boost in defense spending, while the proposed $1 trillion defense topline factored in a $113 billion increase that would come from funds in the pending reconciliation bill.
Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), respective chairs of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, have called the move a “sleight of hand,” with many lawmakers criticizing the delay in receiving a full budget request from the administration.
The House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal 2026 defense bill would require DoD to provide “detailed reporting” on its plans for allocating funds provided in the reconciliation bill, which is currently working its way through Congress.
While lawmakers have yet to receive a detailed budget blueprint, the bill’s $831.5 billion topline includes $174 billion for procurement, a $21 billion increase over the administration’s outlined plan, $147.6 billion for research and development, a $5.6 billion boost, as well as $188.9 for personnel and $283.5 billion for operations and maintenance, a reduction of $5.7 billion and $12.2 billion, respectively.
For shipbuilding, House appropriators have allocated $36.9 billion to build 28 ships, including one Columbia-class submarine and two Virginia-class submarines.
The bill also includes $1.5 billion to invest in bolstering the shipbuilding industrial base and $1.6 billion “for productivity enhancements to improve shipbuilder capability, capacity and efficiency at the private nuclear shipyards.”
House appropriators have also included $3.8 billion for B-21 bomber procurement and $2.1 billion for continued B-21 development.
House appropriators also allocated $13 billion to support the Golden Dome missile defense project, including over $8.8 billion for Missile Defense Agency programs and $4.1 billion for related Space Force programs.
