Two senior Republican senators cast doubt on Tuesday that Congress will pass a third reconciliation bill, warning against relying on such a measure for defense funding. During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s plan to supplement Pentagon funding through reconciliation.
“I would just suggest that it is taking a terrible risk and creates instability when you’re counting on a third reconciliation bill for the bulk of the money rather than doing base funding through the defense appropriations bill,” Collins said during the hearing on the Air Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request.
McConnell was even more direct: “I think it’s safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill, so it’s really not an option.” Collins immediately replied, “I agree with that assessment.”
The exchange highlights growing tension over the Pentagon’s budget strategy. The Trump administration has formally requested approximately $350 billion—about a quarter of its total $1.5 trillion defense spending request—be achieved through reconciliation rather than the traditional appropriations process. Reconciliation is a special legislative procedure that bypasses the Senate filibuster, allowing the majority party to pass legislation with just 50 votes plus the vice president’s tiebreaker, rather than the usual 60-vote supermajority needed for most bills.
Senate Republicans have already muscled through two reconciliation bills since taking control of the majority. The first, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” passed in July 2025 and included tax cuts and spending changes. The second, a narrower package focused on funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, passed the Senate in early June 2026 and the House on Tuesday.
Some House Republicans have discussed pursuing a third reconciliation bill that could focus on affordability and reducing fraud in social programs, but McConnell and Collins’s doubts reflect broader skepticism among appropriators. The two senators have long preferred using the regular appropriations process, which requires bipartisan agreement through Collins’s committee. The approaching midterm elections in the fall may further complicate efforts to pass additional partisan reconciliation measures, as lawmakers face electoral pressure and time constraints.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged during the hearing that without reconciliation funding, the Air Force would face significant impacts on readiness and would be unable to make key investments in areas like drone defense, F-35 sustainment, and munitions procurement. McConnell and Collins’s skepticism underscores the political difficulty of passing a third reconciliation bill, even with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress.
Sources
- The Hill — Collins and McConnell’s direct statements on the third reconciliation bill, McConnell’s quote “I think it’s safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill,” and Collins’s agreement
- Breaking Defense — Additional context on the hearing, defense funding request details ($350 billion), Air Force readiness impacts, and Senator Kennedy’s concerns about missing budget deadlines
