Global tensions are on the rise and national security is a major concern. The United States must be able to defend itself.
And now the Pentagon has sent Congress a request that’s raising eyebrows in the Capitol.
Trump Administration Bolsters Defense with Massive Funding Push and Travel Restrictions
The Department of Defense (DoD) has proposed a significant funding increase for domestic and international defense systems, signaling a robust commitment to national security under President Donald Trump’s leadership. A new estimate from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) outlines a 27% budget hike for fiscal year 2026, totaling $13.2 billion, which includes a guaranteed $10.2 billion and a supplemental $3 billion package pending Congressional approval.
The funding request follows a targeted ballistic missile attack by Iran on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, highlighting the need for enhanced missile defense capabilities. According to a DefenseNews analysis, the MDA’s budget includes “$10.5 billion in research, development, test and evaluation funding, $1.6 billion in procurement, $720.4 million in operations and maintenance, and $306.4 million for military construction.”
A major focus of the budget is the Ground Based Midcourse Defense system, with a proposed $3.2 billion allocation to protect the U.S. homeland from intercontinental ballistic missiles originating from Iran and North Korea. The MDA also plans to bolster defenses in Guam, a critical Indo-Pacific hotspot, to counter threats from China and North Korea.
In addition to domestic priorities, the MDA will allocate funds to support Israeli defense systems, including the Iron Dome and Arrow Weapon System, as part of an agreement extending through 2028. This builds on $1 billion previously appropriated in the 2024 Israel Security Supplemental Appropriation Act for Iron Dome-related systems.
The budget also includes a 105% increase for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program, rising from $74,208 thousand in fiscal year 2025 to $152,247 thousand in 2026. The MDA further plans to procure 37 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System interceptors, according to DefenseNews.
A separate $25 billion funding request for President Trump’s ambitious Golden Dome project is part of a $113 billion spending bill currently under debate in Congress. The Golden Dome, estimated at $175 billion in total, aims to create a state-of-the-art homeland defense architecture capable of intercepting missiles from space and peer states like Russia and China.
“I’m pleased to announce that we have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors,” President Trump said in a May Oval Office meeting. “Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they’re launched from space. And we will have the best system ever built.”
The Golden Dome initiative aligns with Trump’s “Iron Dome For America” executive order, which states that “official United States homeland missile defense policy has remained only to stay ahead of rogue-nation threats and accidental or unauthorized missile launches.”
“It’s amazing how easy this one is to fund,” Trump said during the Oval Office meeting. “Some funding is tough and some is easy. When we say we’re going to save everyone’s lives in a crazy world, it seems to be very easy to get.”
Former Biden Nantional Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East, Brett McGurk on CNN:
"This is about the best place we can be. I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis."
🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/pRQsCBnJI4
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 24, 2025
In parallel with defense investments, President Trump has taken decisive action to enhance national security through immigration policy. In early June, he signed a proclamation banning foreign nationals from 12 countries and imposing partial travel restrictions on seven others, citing national security concerns.
The countries facing a full ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial travel restrictions apply to Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
“As President, I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump stated in the proclamation. “I remain committed to engaging with those countries willing to cooperate to improve information-sharing and identity-management procedures, and to address both terrorism-related and public-safety risks. Nationals of some countries also pose significant risks of overstaying their visas in the United States, which increases burdens on immigration and law enforcement components of the United States, and often exacerbates other risks related to national security and public safety.”
The proclamation includes exemptions for lawful permanent U.S. residents, recipients of Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, diplomatic visa holders, immediate family member immigrant visa holders, and visas for ethnic and religious minorities in Iran. Additional exceptions apply to adoptions, dual nationals traveling on passports from unrestricted countries, and athletes attending events like the World Cup or Olympics.
The Trump administration’s dual focus on advanced missile defense systems and stringent immigration measures reflects a comprehensive approach to safeguarding the nation. The proposed budget increases and travel restrictions are poised to strengthen U.S. defenses against both external threats and internal security challenges.
Congress is expected to review the MDA’s budget and the Golden Dome funding proposal in the coming months, with debates likely to center on the strategic importance of these investments in an increasingly volatile global landscape.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
