WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The report noted several factors contributing to spending increases, including calls to boost the size of the US Army from present strength of just over 1 million soldiers to 1.2 million by 2027.
"For the years after 2018, CBO estimates the administration’s goals for the military would result in steady increases in costs so that by 2027, the base budget (in 2018 dollars) would reach $688 billion, more than 20 percent larger than peak spending during the 1980s," the report said on Monday.
Trump has made rebuilding the US military a centerpiece of his administration, with many of the details included in the CBO report gleaned from congressional testimony by military officers during the president’s first year in office.
In September,The US Senate has overwhelmingly approved the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that significantly boosts the country's military funding.
Senators approved the $700 billion defense measure, which contains over $600 billion in spending for US operations in the Middle East. This act gives an enormous boost to the biggest military budget in the world, as the previous one was capped at $549 billion.
