Mattis makes case for 2018 U.S. defence budget

U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford told lawmakers on Monday (June 12) more resources were needed over the course of the next years to bolster the U.S. military in its fight against IS and other threats. "We all recognize it will take a number of years of higher funding delivered on time to restore readiness," Mattis said before the House Armed Services Committee. There is some new spending in Trump's plan for fiscal year 2018, which starts in October, which includes a speaking hike for the Pentagon, despite major cuts to wellness programs. The Pentagon's specific defense request is for $574.5 billion, an increase of 4.6 percent compared with the budget for fiscal year 2017. The budget request must be passed by Congress but faces skeptical lawmakers. U.S. officials said the focus of the budget proposal was to improve readiness.