Senate Armed Services presses Pentagon on FY2026 budget, Golden Dome and industrial-base gaps

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, members questioned whether the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2026 budget request provides the detail and sustained funding needed to restore readiness, modernize weapons and shore up munitions and shipbuilding capacity.

The committee's chairman opened the hearing by flagging what he called "numerous significant holes" in the request and warning that projected spending could leave defense below 3% of GDP in future years. "We will spend today reviewing the numerous significant holes in this request," he said, listing shipbuilding, tactical fighters and maintenance shortfalls as examples.

The department defended the request as a multibillion-dollar increase intended to accelerate modernization. Secretary Hegseth said the administration's plan combines a $961,600,000,000 base request with reconciliation funding and other savings, and described the request as "a generational increase in defense capabilities." He highlighted what he called major investments in a layered homeland missile-defense effort he termed "Golden Dome," and in nuclear modernization and shipbuilding.

Why it matters: The hearing focused on whether the budget as submitted provides predictable, multi-year funding that the industrial base needs to ramp production of munitions, ships and aircraft. Several senators said they were concerned the…