POGO Warns $450 Billion Pentagon Budget Hike Would Undermine Oversight and Accountability 

Washington, D.C. — In response to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers’ (R-AL) announcement that he and his Senate counterpart Roger Wicker (R-MS) plan to use reconciliation to fast track an additional $450 billion in Pentagon spending, Greg Williams, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:

“Rushing hundreds of billions of dollars through reconciliation to the least accountable agency in the federal government undermines oversight and public trust. Congress should be increasing scrutiny of Pentagon spending — not bypassing it.

“Using reconciliation to push through an increase of this magnitude sidelines the normal defense authorization process, which, despite its flaws, has historically allowed for bipartisan debate and oversight.

“The bipartisan process for passing the Pentagon’s annual authorization bill already struggles to provide sufficient transparency. Weakening that process further reduces scrutiny at a moment when rigorous oversight is more necessary than ever.

“An almost 50 percent increase in Pentagon spending to meet an arbitrary presidential budget target is indefensible. President Donald Trump has pushed for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, but writing such a blank check for the Pentagon without meaningful debate or oversight is not responsible governance.

“In 2023, the Pentagon spent far more than China, Russia, and Iran combined, yet Congress keeps hiking the budget. Congress needs to be asking the hard questions about why that is not enough, where the money is going, and what taxpayers are actually getting. The Pentagon does not need more money. It needs to reduce waste, be accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars, and start doing more with less.”