The Pentagon’s Fiscal 2017 budget request may be heading down a rough path to approval, with key lawmakers immediately expressing opposition upon its release Tuesday. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in a statement said the request is “inadequate” to address threats the country faces. “The President’s Budget request is actually less, in real dollars, than what Congress enacted last year,” McCain said. “… Rather than request an increase in defense spending that reflects what our military really needs, the President’s request attempts to pay for these increased costs by shorting other important defense needs.” However, committee vice chairman, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), said the budget has “significant funds for [the] readiness needs of our military and focuses on future threats.” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) called the budget “unrealistic.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
