Trump Presses Senate GOP to Pass $350B Military Bill Before January

President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Senate Republican leaders to “IMMEDIATELY move” a $350 billion reconciliation bill for the military, pressing the GOP to act in its final weeks before Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress in January, according to his post on Truth Social as reported by The Hill and The Daily Wire.

“The Radical Democrat Majority in the next Congress has already made it clear that their Number One Agenda is to BLOCK and RESIST this historic investment in our National Security,” Trump wrote, according to The Hill. “Our Military must be strong, powerful, and respected. Republicans must deliver for our Warriors. The Democrats never will. The time is NOW.”

Trump urges Senate leadership to move $350B reconciliation billhttps://t.co/nTBcdgLfPz

— The Hill (@thehill) November 12, 2026

Thune ‘Interested’ but Not Committing

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday he was “interested” in the president’s renewed push for a party-line military funding bill, but stopped short of committing to pass it before Democrats take power, the Washington Examiner reported. Thune has questioned whether Republicans can secure the 50 Senate votes needed to advance the legislation, according to a report carried by Yahoo News.

Budget reconciliation allows qualifying legislation to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster and pass with a simple majority, according to that report. The bill would be the third reconciliation package of Trump’s second term, the Washington Examiner reported.

What’s in the $350 Billion

The request includes $47 billion for expanded munitions production, $17 billion for the Golden Dome homeland defense system, more than $48 billion for critical minerals and around $103 billion for low-cost autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and counter-unmanned systems, according to The Hill.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly pushed Congress to approve the package, The Hill reported. Two days before Trump’s post, Hegseth said $350 billion “at a minimum, for reconciliation is what we believe is needed to make a generational and historic investment in this department, something our warfighters need,” according to the Yahoo News report.

Hegseth said he was working with Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to secure the funding before Republicans lose their majorities, and said he did not expect Democrats to support it, according to the same report.

GOP Divisions Over the Package

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) supports moving forward, according to the Yahoo News report, which quoted him telling Semafor, “We need to get reconciliation done.” Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) also backed additional funding, arguing it should focus on military readiness rather than the Iran conflict, the report said.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called the proposal “tone-deaf” and vowed to oppose spending that could prolong the war, according to the same report. Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) argued that passing the measure could strengthen Republicans’ negotiating position before Democrats assume control, the report said.

The package remains stalled over differences in how to pay for it, and some lawmakers have warned the $350 billion top line may be out of reach, The Hill reported. Several House Republicans warned last month that they were ready to block a partisan package unless the administration gets tougher on Russia, according to The Hill.

Republicans hold their majorities until the 120th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2027, according to Fox News.

Sources

• The Hill on X
• The Hill
• Washington Examiner
• Yahoo News
• The Daily Wire
• Fox News

Reporting by Daily Beltway.