US lawmakers warn Pentagon budget gridlock threatens Golden Dome missile defense at Farnborough airshow

At the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK, a bipartisan US congressional delegation warned that political gridlock over the Pentagon budget, including the National Defense Authorization Act and an Iran war supplemental, likely leads to a continuing resolution. Senators expressed doubt that the Trump administration's top priority, the Golden Dome missile defense program, can be funded this year via reconciliation—a partisan budget maneuver. Only $400 million of the $17.5 billion sought for Golden Dome is in the baseline budget; the rest relies on reconciliation, which Congress has reduced from $350 billion to $60 billion, mostly for the Iran war. Republicans like Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Fischer voiced concern about the precedent and feasibility, while Democrats like Sen. Shaheen warned against bypassing normal appropriations. Analysts suggest alternative funding paths may emerge.