Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine testified Tuesday before House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees on a $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 Pentagon budget request, according to CBS News. The proposal would represent a 42% increase over 2026 spending levels. Said Sen. Mark Kelly: "When I got to the Senate five and a half years ago, the defense budget was just over $700 billion. Now they're asking for twice as much money — it's nearly the amount that the rest of the world pays for its defense."