Story perspectives

Trump Requests $1.5 Trillion FY2027 Defense Budget

By Drooid · Sep 12, 2026, 12:27 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Trump Requests Budget

President Donald Trump asks Congress for a $1.5 trillion FY 2027 defense budget and $67.1 billion supplemental for war in Iran.
Rep. Barbara Lee cast the sole dissenting vote on the 2001 AUMF, warning against unchecked military escalation.
A 2021 Brown University analysis found the 2001 AUMF has justified counterterrorism operations in 22 countries.
Since February 2025, Trump administration authorized over 100 strikes against ISIS and al-Shabaab in Somalia, citing the 2001 AUMF.

Summary

Trump Keeps Guantanamo

President Donald Trump pledged to keep Guantánamo Bay open and repurpose part for ICE-detained immigrants, including Minnesota Somali workers.
Fifteen men, three never charged, remain detained at Guantánamo Bay.
Congress passed the PATRIOT Act 45 days after 9/11, equating dissent with disloyalty.
2025 NSPM-7 directive ordered DHS to investigate nonprofits for alleged anti-Americanism and anti-capitalism as violence indicators.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force on September 18 2001, signed by President George W. Bush after only Rep. Barbara Lee voted against it. The vague mandate has since been cited 37 times to justify operations in at least 22 nations. In 2024 President Donald Trump invoked the same authority to request a FY 2027 defense budget and keep Guantánamo Bay open for ICE detainees.

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Trump Requests Budget

President Donald Trump asks Congress for a $1.5 trillion FY 2027 defense budget and $67.1 billion supplemental for war in Iran.
Rep. Barbara Lee cast the sole dissenting vote on the 2001 AUMF, warning against unchecked military escalation.
A 2021 Brown University analysis found the 2001 AUMF has justified counterterrorism operations in 22 countries.
Since February 2025, Trump administration authorized over 100 strikes against ISIS and al-Shabaab in Somalia, citing the 2001 AUMF.

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