Senate hearing probes scope and cost of Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee held a hearing on the Golden Dome missile-defense plan, questioning its coverage, cost and partisan hurdles.
During a Sept. 29 hearing, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee examined President Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile-defense architecture, a project that could cost billions or even trillions of dollars. Senators sought clarification on whether the system would blanket the United States or concentrate on major urban centers, critical industry, and government sites. Participants acknowledged that a truly nationwide shield is technically unfeasible and that no system can guarantee perfect coverage.
Republican senators suggested that Democratic opposition is delaying the effort, while witnesses stressed the urgency posed by Russia and China’s modernizing nuclear arsenals. The discussion underscored the need for a bipartisan approach to fund and shape the program’s strategic priorities.
Why it matters
The hearing determines how the U.S. will allocate massive funds to a missile-defense system amid rising great-power threats.
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