Trump plans to ask for $716 billion for national defense in 2019 — a major increase

It's Mattis' job (I'm a huge Mattis fan) to ask for what he believes he needs (and always ask for more). It's Congress' job to figure out what to give DoD based on what they can, with decreased revenues. As far as the BCA, they passed that law and they could un-pass it, but then they will increase the deficit even more. We already spend way more than China and Russia (in fact the next 8 countries combined), but we need to modernize. I predict he will soon order a review about what the Pentagon could stop doing. But I could be wrong, I have been before.