Search

McConnell: $900 Billion Defense Topline ‘Not Nearly Enough,’ Calls For ‘Significant’ Increase

McConnell: $900 Billion Defense Topline ‘Not Nearly Enough,’ Calls For ‘Significant’ Increase
Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, speaks with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) before the VOLAR barracks ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 27, 2024, at Fort Campbell, Ky. Photo by Staff Sgt. Kaden Pitt, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has offered the most extensive insight to date on his priorities as he takes over the Defense Appropriations chairmanship, to include encouraging the incoming Trump administration to support “a significant and sustained” defense spending boost and arguing the U.S.’ almost $900 billion defense topline is “not nearly enough.” McConnell, in a Foreign Affairs piece published Monday, also warned Trump against embracing an isolationist defense and foreign policy and issued a rebuke of the president-elect’s uncertain stance…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Congress Updates

Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections

The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]


Senate Defense Appropriators See ‘Risk’ With Army’s Reconciliation Plan To Fund Munitions Increase

The Senate’s top defense appropriators cited concern this week with the Army’s request to fund the majority of its large increase to munitions procurement in fiscal year 2027 through the […]


Army Relooking At Its ‘Whole Aviation Transformation’ Plan, Acting Chief Tells Lawmakers

The Army is relooking at its “whole aviation transformation initiative,” the service’s acting chief of staff told lawmakers on Tuesday, to include its approach for future procurement of “enduring” platforms. […]


Lawmakers Request DoD Briefing On Army’s Planned Cuts To Aviation Procurement

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has sent a letter asking the Pentagon for a briefing on the potential industrial base impacts as a result of the Army’s planned cuts […]