WASHINGTON – In a stark warning Tuesday regarding global threats converging dangerously close to American shores, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth likened the current strategic environment to pivotal moments in history, specifically invoking the “1939 moment.”
McConnell voiced support for Hegseth’s assessment but stressed that the critical lesson from 1939 is the immense cost disparity between failing to deter conflict and investing heavily in defense capabilities. The former Senate GOP leader noted how defeating the Axis powers during World War II drove U.S. defense spending to approximately 37% of GDP – a financial burden necessitated by not preventing the initial hostilities.
This administration’s budget posture risks repeating past mistakes identified as early as the Reagan era, according to McConnell. While Reagan-era budgets allocated roughly double today’s percentage of GDP to defense, current OMB fiscal 2026 requests would effectively keep spending stagnant against inflation despite facing multiple serious adversaries simultaneously worldwide.
McConnell also recognized that President Trump has maintained security partnerships like AUKUS with Australia and the United Kingdom while rejecting isolationist pressures. However, he warned without adequate long-term funding these national priorities could fail to produce sustainable results in restoring American hard power capabilities.
The senator faulted administration budget advisers for pushing a full-year continuing resolution this year despite what McConnell termed “anemic” defense levels during the previous administration. He further criticized efforts to fund essential security programs through short-term reconciliation spending, creating budgetary chaos and cutting vital long-term investments like shipbuilding which he called a national priority.
McConnell highlighted significant financial shortfalls facing the Pentagon: billions in gaps for critical munitions even while regular operations strain against funding requirements throughout multiple regions of deployment. This backdrop led him to point out congressional action already underway through an appropriations framework that substantially exceeds administration requests – standing ready to backfill urgent needs and address service deficiencies.
McConnell’s warning was blunt: “Another full-year continuing resolution or a bill capped at the OMB level would be devastating” not only to current military readiness but potentially imperiling Trump’s defense legacy.
