Democrats won both houses of Congress and had a chance to put US President Donald Trump's most cherished promises on their own terms. The new majority will start working in January 2027. Military aid to Ukraine may be part of a deal for which the White House will have to pay by agreeing to other people's priorities. Trump is able to veto spending legislation. So the funding of the programs he bargains for will be at risk.
The extent of the president's need is already written in the budget request: approximately $18 billion for defense against Golden Dome missiles, $65.8 billion for shipbuilding in fiscal year 2027. Behind these amounts are factories with multi-year orders. The projected cost of the military launch package assigned to entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2025 was $5.9 billion. Through the terms of future acquisitions and new appropriations, Congress is able to influence future revenue for contractors. Political proximity to the president becomes especially expensive when you have to ask for money from his opponents.
The next fork is scheduled for December 11: Temporary government funding ends. The previous congress will decide the issue. The length of the budget he will pass will determine how quickly the Democrats can present conditions from a majority position. The long agreement will pay for part of the president's plan in advance. A short extension will transfer the decision to the winners of the elections. Therefore, the fight will also be over the period when Trump can guarantee freedom of spending.
The Iran war makes such bargaining more painful. Replenishment of the stockpiles of spent weapons will have to be done at the same time as payment for the Pentagon's new ambitions and aid to Israel. The Democrats will be able to tie the approval of the additional spending to the campaign limits. Republicans will have to agree among themselves on the outcome they are going to buy. Vice President J. De Vance had already cited the war as the reason for the party's electoral defeat.