President Trump plans to ask Congress for a $54 billion increase in defense spending and a reduction in non-defense spending by the same amount when the White House submits its 2018 budget next month.
An Office of Management and Budget official told reporters on a conference call Monday morning that the administration plans to pay for a 10 percent increase in defense spending by slashing foreign aid and funding for domestic discretionary programs.
That would bring the baseline Defense Department budget request to $603 billion, which is $54 billion more than the Budget Control Act cap of $549 billion for fiscal 2018, while cutting $54 billion from non-defense programs.
Trump has repeatedly promised to build up the “depleted” U.S. military by pouring money into the armed forces.
“As we prepare our budget request for Congress… our military strength will be questioned by no one, but neither will our dedication to peace,” he told military personnel during a visit to the Pentagon last month.
Federal agencies are expected to receive on guidance from the White House on Monday detailing what the administration hopes to include in its upcoming budget.
“This budget expects the rest of the world to step up in some of the programs this country has been so generous in funding in the past,” the OMB official explained.
