Democratic lawmakers demand details on Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan

A group of Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday pressed the Trump administration for more information about its proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense shield.

Led by Senators Edward Markey and Jeff Merkley and Representatives John Garamendi and Don Beyer, the lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seeking answers about the system's mission, capabilities, cost, and strategic implications.

The request comes as Congress weighs President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027 and amid growing scrutiny of Golden Dome, an administration-championed missile defense initiative.

The lawmakers cited a recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that projected the Golden Dome could cost as much as $1.2 trillion while providing significantly less capability than promised.

“This is unacceptable. Before you spend one more taxpayer dollar on Golden Dome, DOD must share its plans and goals for the system.

"There is no reasonable justification for keeping the mission and number of interceptors for Golden Dome secret," the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

The letter argues that while certain technical specifications may warrant classification, the administration has not justified withholding information about the system's overall architecture, mission requirements, and intended performance.

Among the questions posed to the Pentagon are how many missiles the system is intended to intercept, how the administration plans to allocate the proposed $185 billion in Golden Dome funding, the project's estimated cost over the next 20 years, and whether officials are considering a third missile defense interceptor site on the East Coast.

The lawmakers also requested details on how the administration expects rivals such as China and Russia to respond to the deployment of Golden Dome and whether the system could complicate broader arms control efforts.

The letter was also signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Chris Murphy, as well as Representatives Jim McGovern and Bill Foster.

The group requested responses from the Pentagon by June 30.