Auctoritas

<strong id="docs-internal-guid-e5e06405-7fff-842a-f8f8-4b6093bd0074">Washington, D.C. –&nbsp;</strong>U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS,&nbsp;Chairman&nbsp;of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Representative Mike Rogers,&nbsp;R-AL,&nbsp;Chairman&nbsp;of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement praising President Trump’s announcement of a $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027:&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> “We commend President Trump for&nbsp;committing to a $1.5 trillion defense budget. This is&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;the kind of investment it will take to&nbsp;rebuild our military and restore American&nbsp;leadership&nbsp;on the world stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> America faces&nbsp;intensifying global threats from China, Russia, Iran,&nbsp;and narco-terrorists. This substantial increase in defense spending is therefore both timely and essential. We are also leading by example by bringing U.S. defense spending to approximately 5% of our GDP, which is what we expect from our NATO allies.<br /> <br /> "Increased investment will lead to tangible hard power: accelerated shipbuilding and aircraft production, a modernized arsenal, and innovative technologies that ensure our warfighters remain unmatched. These efforts prioritize the needs of our men and women in uniform and deliver the 'Dream Military' President Trump has envisioned.<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> “Leaders across the political spectrum have long&nbsp;been proud to call&nbsp;the U.S. military&nbsp;the&nbsp;most powerful&nbsp;in the world. They have vowed&nbsp;never&nbsp;to let it&nbsp;fall behind. Yet&nbsp;too many have failed to match those words with&nbsp;resources and action.&nbsp;The&nbsp;previous&nbsp;administration&nbsp;resisted adequate&nbsp;military funding,&nbsp;instead settling for&nbsp;depleted stockpiles, aging equipment, and&nbsp;worsening&nbsp;recruitment challenges.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;<br /> “President Trump’s decisive commitment reverses&nbsp;these&nbsp;years of&nbsp;neglect.&nbsp;He is&nbsp;replacing&nbsp;rhetoric&nbsp;with investment&nbsp;and&nbsp;sending&nbsp;a message&nbsp;to our adversaries.&nbsp;America&nbsp;can and will defend&nbsp;the&nbsp;homeland and&nbsp;stand with our&nbsp;allies.&nbsp;We&nbsp;share the president’s ultimate desire for peace,&nbsp;and&nbsp;we&nbsp;agree that it will only be achieved through strength, by preventing conflict before it begins.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> "As we welcome this step, we&nbsp;are&nbsp;ready to&nbsp;continue&nbsp;working&nbsp;with President Trump and&nbsp;Secretary Hegseth&nbsp;to&nbsp;rebuild&nbsp;America’s military&nbsp;and get this budget passed into law.”&nbsp;

Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) said Tuesday that President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s involvements in efforts to prosecute members of Congress who participated in the “illegal orders” video could force the case to be thrown out on the grounds of “undue command influence.” “It’s not just Pete Hegseth. It is also the president himself....