Democrats across the Capitol were outraged Thursday at news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon and military leaders to plan 8 percent cuts from the defense budget in each of the next five years.

Republicans, who traditionally support robust defense spending, took the plans in stride, despite GOP lawmakers wanting to add $100 billion to the annual defense spending bill. Any cuts that impact districts where ships or arms are produced would likely put the Pentagon on a collision course with Congress.

The cuts, ordered in a Tuesday memo, would seek to shave off $50 billion from Defense Department coffers in the next fiscal year in a dramatic realignment of defense spending to fund President Trump’s priorities, including an Iron Dome-like missile defense system for the U.S. and beefed up border security.

Democrats say the effort is a sham that will not only fail to save taxpayers money, but also undermine America’s defense capabilities in an increasingly hostile world.

“These types of hasty, indiscriminate budget cuts would betray our military forces and their families and make America less safe,” Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said in a statement.

“I’m all for cutting programs that don’t work, but this proposal is deeply misguided. Secretary Hegseth’s rushed, arbitrary strategy would have negative impacts on our security, economy, and industrial base.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), however, said the Pentagon effort is simply the new administration reviewing the entire budget.

“This process will enable the Secretary to offset needless and distracting programs – such as........

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