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Trump's Defense Budget Set to 'Pass Through Congress Without a Hitch'

© REUTERS / Jim Lo Scalzo/PoolUS President Donald J. Trump delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC, USA, 28 February 2017
US President Donald J. Trump delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC, USA, 28 February 2017 - Sputnik International
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President Donald Trump has proposed a 10 percent increase to United States defense spending as part of a $1.1 trillion budget blueprint for fiscal year 2018, which will most likely be approved by the US Congress without a hitch, Russian political analyst Nikolai Shlyamin told Radio Sputnik.

"The budget which Donald Trump proposed could easily be dragged [through the US Congress] since it touches a string of the American soul – the idea of reviving US military power and investing into defense," he explained. "Taking into account the foreign policy which Washington used to carry out and the response it generated, the new budget could be passed without a hitch."

This is not to say that Trump will not encounter resistance from his opponents.

President Donald Trump reads from a teleprompter during a speech aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., Thursday, March 2, 2017. - Sputnik International
Never Ending War: Amid Military Bloat, Trump Jacks Up 'Defense' Budget to $639B
"Since the new outline could be summed up in a sentence 'everything for the front, everything for the victory,' Trump's opponents will point out that [his budget entails cuts] in almost all other areas, including healthcare, social programs, education, green energy. The budget is essentially slashed. It is not increased, but rather rebalanced. This is what his opponents will draw attention to," the analyst said.

The White House unveiled its budget blueprint for fiscal year 2018 on March 16, which includes a $52.3 billion defense spending increase and cuts to numerous federal agencies, including the Departments of State and Education, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Trump administration has argued that the Pentagon needs the proposed $639 billion defense budget to boost the fight against Daesh and restore the US military, worn out after decades of overseas operations.

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