The Donald Trump administration is expected to roll out its budget proposal for fiscal 2027 this Friday, April 3, a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget confirmed to Exchange Monitor affiliate Defense Daily.
The budget request will be sent to Congress, currently in recess until mid-April. The forthcoming budget release is expected to detail plans to meet President Trump’s push for a massive defense spending increase in fiscal 2027, having called for a $1.5 trillion topline.
For fiscal 2026, the White House requested $30 billion for the Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) when including the $4.8 billion in mandatory funding through the reconciliation process, or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The DOE Office of Environmental Management is funded at $8.4-billion under the fiscal 2026 minibus.
Congress last year lamented the Trump administration’s delayed budget request rollout which extended into the summer. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the top Democrat on the defense appropriations panel, at the time called it “the latest budget in history” and noted that the staggered submission of documents from the Pentagon impacted appropriators’ crafting of defense spending legislation.
In terms of the Congressional appropriations process, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee that funds DOE and NNSA, told the Exchange Monitor in the halls of the Capitol earlier in March, “we can’t do anything without a top line, and we don’t have it yet.”
“I have a meeting today on our budget and we’re talking about options,” Kennedy said. “But we’re just flying blind.” He added he did not know when to expect a top line for that bill.
Additionally, Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement last week that with the White House’s backing, his panel will move “expeditiously” on crafting a second reconciliation bill, citing priorities for defense.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also acknowledged the Pentagon could potentially ask Congress for $200 billion in supplemental funding to support the ongoing operation against Iran and replenish munitions used in the strike campaign, while noting the final requested figure “could move.” A second reconciliation bill could also potentially serve as a legislative vehicle to move forward on an Iran supplemental funding request.