# Will the largest US defence budget clear Congress?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487/will-the-largest-us-defence-budget-clear-congress
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487/will-the-largest-us-defence-budget-clear-congress.md
Podcast: [USSC Briefing Room](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487)
Published: 2026-05-26T14:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/a41ea536
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/a41ea536/77066bf7.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3006

## Resource

Last month the Trump administration submitted the largest defence budget request in history – US$1.5 trillion, which is a 40% increase from the prior year. At the same time, the administration is seeking to circumvent Congress’ ‘power of the purse’ through various legislative manoeuvres, effectively expanding the powers of the executive branch. What can the budget request tell us about the Trump administration’s defence priorities? How are they changing the balance of powers through the budget process? Are these changes likely to be long-lasting or easily reversable? Research Fellow Tom Corben and Senior Research Associate Esther Soulard recently published an explainer: Trump, Congress and the battle for the defence budget and they sat down with Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts , Spotify and YouTube . Produced by: Elliott Brennan Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

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## Transcript

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