"If we’re forced into that position, we just make other trade-offs, like against exquisite weapons and systems: How much of those are we willing to sacrifice in place of low-cost autonomous weapons?" Emil Michael asked Friday, signaling a readiness at the Pentagon to shift procurement priorities if congressional reconciliation funding fails.
Emil Michael at the Hudson Institute
Emil Michael, who serves as both the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, made the comments during remarks at the Hudson Institute think tank. Michael framed the potential choices as a budgetary portfolio decision, and described the department’s intent to “protect its focus on buying large numbers of low-cost, high-tech systems” should Congress not pass the proposed reconciliation funding.
The $350 billion reconciliation package and Pentagon planning
The White House's fiscal 2027 budget request was presented in two parts: $1.15 trillion in base discretionary funding, and a separate $350 billion reconciliation package. Michael said that “a big chunk for autonomous systems, whether it be Saronic-like systems, mine-detection systems, drones, so on” is included in that $350 billion. He warned that without that reconciliation agreement, “We just won’t be able to buy as much or move as fast” on what he has termed the “AI arsenal.”
Trade-offs: 'exquisite weapons' versus low-cost autonomous systems
Michael explicitly framed the potential consequences as trade-offs between traditional, expensive systems and newer low-cost autonomous capabilities. “It’s just like balancing any budget and any portfolio,” he said, adding that the department is prepared to consider sacrificing some “exquisite weapons and systems” to preserve procurement of low-cost autonomous weapons and related technologies if reconciliation fails to materialize.
Congressional signals and the political moment
Michael acknowledged the legislature’s central role: “Congress does appropriations, that’s what they do. We receive them, and we do the best we can.” His comments come after public signals from lawmakers and party leaders that have affected expectations for reconciliation. On June 9, two key Republican appropriators, Senators Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell, indicated their belief that there was insufficient support in the Senate to pass a defense reconciliation agreement. President Donald Trump publicly rebuked those criticisms, posting on Truth Social: “I am hereby calling on Republicans in Congress to IMMEDIATELY advance and pass the forthcoming $350 Billion Reconciliation Bill.” Michael also pointed to calendar pressures, noting, “we’re in a midterm election year, so weird things happen,” and said the Pentagon is “willing to meet any Congressman or senator to talk about it.”
How technologists, policymakers, and the public are affected
- Technologists and procurement leaders: They will watch budget signals closely; a shift away from reconciliation funding would force program managers to re-evaluate acquisition plans for drones, mine-detection systems, and other autonomous platforms Michael grouped under the “AI arsenal.”
- Members of Congress and appropriators: They hold the decisive authority over funding and will face the choice Michael described: whether to allocate reconciliation dollars for autonomous systems or leave the department to make trade-offs among existing modernization programs.
- The general public and end users: Deliberations over these trade-offs could affect the pace and scale of delivery for lower-cost autonomous systems that the Pentagon views as critical to future operations, as well as continued procurement of higher-cost conventional weaponry.
Michael’s remarks distilled the issue into a clear budgetary lever: with reconciliation uncertain, the Pentagon is prepared to reallocate within its portfolio—favoring massed, lower-cost autonomous systems unless Congress provides the separate $350 billion. He offered to make the case directly to lawmakers, leaving the immediate outcome tied to whether reconciliation advances through Congress.
