It is unusual for reconciliation bills, such as H.R. 1, to include substantial funding for the Department of Defense or other military-related programs in other departments. However, H.R. 1 breaks from precedent by allocating $156 billion to “national defense.” This is problematic for four main reasons: (1) It benefits weapons-makers and contractors more than service members; (2) It lacks details on specific spending categories, effectively making it a slush fund; (3) It incentivizes future lawmakers to skirt the regular budget process, which is more deliberative and transparent than the reconciliation process; and (4) It increases Pentagon and military-related spending by over 13 percent from FY25, pushing “national defense” spending beyond the $1 trillion mark.

H.R. 1 provides $156 billion for Pentagon and military-related programs in fiscal years 2025 - 2029. In fiscal year 2026, it increases Pentagon and military-related spending by over 13 percent from FY25, pushing ‘national defense’ spending beyond the $1 trillion mark.

Shipbuilding funds account for the largest portion of military-related spending in the bill, totaling $29 billion. A substantial portion of these funds are directed toward a handful of military contractors. Funding for munitions and supply chain resiliency accounts for the second largest portion of the military section of H.R. 1, totaling $25 billion. The purpose of this section is to enhance or expand weapons production capacity. Altogether, spending on shipbuilding and the expansion of weapons production capacity makes up 35% of the military funding in H.R. 1., while spending on military personnel only accounts for about 5%.