Senate appropriators passed their $852.5 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2026 on Thursday, adding $21.7 billion to the Pentagon’s topline to boost munitions, shipbuilding accounts and to correct billions in accounting errors in the department’s budget.
But members made it clear they were frustrated with the chaotic rollout of the defense budget request, especially the fact that so much of the Defense Department’s budget was betting on reconciliation funding.
Minutes after the committee’s vote, Breaking Defense’s Valerie Insinna hopped on camera to lay out what you need to know.
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