Secretary of War Pete Hegseth plans to meet with top legislators in both Houses of Congress next week to discuss the Trump administration's budget request of $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon.

Trump in January asked Congress to approve $1.5 trillion in defense spending, a request he has renewed amid the ongoing war with Iran, which began in late February.

Hegseth on Monday will meet with Senate and House leaders on the Armed Services and Defense Appropriations committees in both chambers, The Hill reported.

The figure represents a roughly 50% surge from the approximately $1 trillion in defense spending from the year prior, and the measure is expected to face scrutiny from budget hawks, non-interventionists, and skeptical Democrats.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.