The Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought defended the use of budget reconciliation to allocate $150 billion in additional mandatory defense spending, calling it a “paradigm shift” that enables major defense priorities like shipbuilding, nuclear modernization, and the Golden Dome program without requiring Democratic support. Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Vought left open the possibility of another reconciliation bill while declining to specify fiscal 2027 defense budget growth targets. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested spending could exceed 3 percent of GDP, potentially surpassing $1 trillion annually, though critics question whether one-time reconciliation boosts can replace consistent yearly increases.