SUMMARYCongressional control is shifting after the 2025 elections, putting President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense plan under tougher scrutiny. Democratic lawmakers are expected to limit funding, drop its boost-phase intercept feature, and rename the program as Pentagon budget decisions move to their side. Military officials had already signaled reservations about one of the system’s core capabilities.
Two of the top lawmakers backing the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense shield are among the wave of Republicans leaving Congress in the coming Democratic takeover, raising questions about the future of President Donald Trump's signature second-term defense initiative.
The shakeup on Capitol Hill comes after military officials signaled in recent months that they might backpedal from one element Trump asked for in Golden Dome: the capability to shoot down missiles in their initial boost phase shortly after launch.
The Golden Dome has escaped serious congressional scrutiny since Trump announced the program in January 2025, one week into his second term in the White House. That lack of scrutiny will change as Democrats take responsibility for writing the Pentagon's budget, introduce limits on funding, and put forth bills to strip out Golden Dome's most controversial component and give the program a new name.