Pentagon officials have intensified closed-door briefings with lawmakers to build support for President Trump’s record $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 defense budget request, but some senators said the effort began too late to assemble the coalition needed for passage. The administration is also seeking an $87 billion supplemental request, including $67 billion to replenish munitions used during the Iran war and cover other military operational costs. It has proposed using budget reconciliation, a process requiring only a simple Senate majority, to pass $350 billion for high-priority items as the window narrows before the midterm elections. The Republican-controlled House passed a $95 billion package in July for the Iran war and other administration priorities, but the measure has made little progress in the Senate. Pentagon officials including Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst and Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Christopher Mahoney briefed lawmakers on spending, threats and funding priorities. Republicans including Mike Rounds, Tim Sheehy, Deb Fischer, Rick Scott and Kevin Cramer said the sessions helped clarify the department’s needs, while Democrats including Mark Kelly, Richard Blumenthal and Gary Peters called for more detail, transparency and justification. Kelly said the proposed budget is about twice the size of when he first arrived in the Senate and referred to a $1.45 trillion request plus a possible supplemental, arguing that some proposed systems may not work and some spending is unnecessary.