White House seeks record defense budget, but Congress has questions about spending

NPR | By Claudia Grisales,

Leila Fadel

Published April 17, 2026 at 4:42 AM EDT

The White House is seeking $1.5 trillion from Congress for the Pentagon and is expected to send a separate ask for the Iran war. Lawmakers want more transparency around how the money will be spent.

Claudia Grisales

Claudia Grisales is a congressional reporter assigned to NPR's Washington Desk.

See stories by Claudia Grisales

Leila Fadel

Leila Fadel is a national correspondent for NPR based in Los Angeles, covering issues of culture, diversity, and race.

See stories by Leila Fadel

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