Pentagon seeks 4th budget reconciliation package on military funds: Report

Top Pentagon officials are privately urging Senate Republicans to support a fourth reconciliation package, arguing for a major increase in defense spending, Axios reported Wednesday.

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune has not backed reconciliation 3.0, the White House is already planning beyond it, the report said.

Officials are quietly developing a lame-duck package that could combine substantial Pentagon funding with other priorities, including a 2027 debt ceiling increase.

They argue the funding is needed not only to replenish weapons used in Iran and Ukraine but also to accelerate AI investment as China advances.

In the near term, the administration is backing the House budget resolution, which includes $67 billion for defense.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior Pentagon officials briefed Republican senators behind closed doors Tuesday, outlining global threats and emphasizing China's military challenge. Emil Michael highlighted the need for significant AI spending to preserve the US advantage.

Officials also discussed US weapons stockpiles during the Iran conflict, offering what one source called "candor" and "a level of detail that the committees have been seeking."

The secure briefing included classified material.

Several senators encouraged the administration to broaden its outreach beyond defense hawks to persuade undecided Republicans.

Democrats were excluded from the briefing and other recent Iran-related briefings, according to the report.