Pentagon set to sell GOP lawmakers on funding goals

Link copied by Ellen Mitchell - 06/22/26 6:50 PM ET Link copied Welcome to The Hill s Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to give a classified briefing to a group of House Republicans on military funding goals on Wednesday. The briefing comes as President Trump is pushing Congress to pass a $350 billion reconciliation package for the Pentagon. The Pentagon chief will be at the Republican Study Committee s (RSC) weekly members-only lunch, and defense funding through budget reconciliation is one of the anticipated topics, a source familiar with the meeting told The Hill on Monday. House GOP lawmakers are also expected to ask Hegseth about the administration s ongoing negotiations with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the country s nuclear program. Some Senate Republicans have balked at Trump s demand to to utilize the reconciliation process a third time to inject another $350 billion of defense spending for the Defense Department (DOD). We don t want to have another vote-a-rama. The last vote-a-rama about broke our backs. It was way too long. We ended up right where we started, and it s frustrating for our own members, one Senate Republican told The Hill. Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), earlier this month expressed that a third reconciliation package has little chance of passing, noting that it s safe to conclude there will not be another. And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he supports more spending for DOD, but noted earlier this month that it s going to be an enormously heavy lift in this environment to get that done, particularly with just Republican votes. Welcome to The Hill s Defense & National Security newsletter, I m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. A new premium access digital subscription — into the rooms, conversations, and analysis that shape Washington s most important moments. Launching July 2026. Join the waitlist today. How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: Hegseth to give classified briefing to GOP lawmakers on military funding goals Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will give a classified briefing to a group of House Republicans on military funding goals on Wednesday, as President Trump is pushing Congress to pass a $350 billion reconciliation package for the Pentagon. The Pentagon chief will be at the Republican Study Committee s weekly members-only lunch, and defense funding through budget reconciliation is one of the anticipated topics, a source … Flu cases rise to 222 at Texas base in outbreak blamed on Hegseth scrapping of vaccine mandate More than 220 troops have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, up from 160 reported last week in a major outbreak that comes less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that flu vaccinations would no longer be mandatory for service members. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), whose district includes Lackland, on Friday said the Air Force informed his office that the number of cases had … Vance says Iran to allow nuclear inspectors into country Vice President Vance said on Monday that Iran will allow nuclear inspectors back into its country as negotiations between Washington and Iran continue to end the conflict in the Middle East. Iran has not confirmed the arrangement. Letting in the inspectors is a big deal, Vance told reporters, referring to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts. But again, we re … Coast Guard helicopter crashes in Alaska during training flight with 4 onboard A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed in Alaska on Monday during a training flight with four people aboard, the U.S. Coast Guard announced. The helicopter, a search and rescue twin-engine aircraft, crashed near Harbor Mountain in Sitka, near the state capital Juneau. Sitka Fire and Rescue crews arrived on the scene at around 11 a.m. local time and took all four crew members to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center, according … Upcoming things we re watching on our beat: Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Intelligence Democrats warn Trump nominee Bill Pulte as ODNI braces for firings Intelligence Democrats are warning acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte against carrying out sweeping firings or improperly declassifying intelligence as Congress braces for the controversial new intelligence chief s full first week on the job. Pulte, who also remains the head … CNN was right about the war, and I was wrong This White House is exactly as inept as advertised. Read more Judge strikes down Trump administration database of Social Security numbers, citizenship status A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from creating a centralized database containing Social Security numbers along with informat

Pentagon set to sell GOP lawmakers on funding goals

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