Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has successfully lobbied the White House to increase the Pentagon's fiscal year 2019 base budget by approximately $35 billion to $40 billion, according to government sources and analysts with knowledge of the negotiations. Mattis has said he is seeking a 3 percent to 5 percent increase for the Defense Department's base budget above the Trump administration's FY-18 request of $574 billion. The Pentagon's FY-19 base budget topline is likely to be on the high end of...
