(The Center Square) – The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense shield could cost American taxpayers as much as $1.2 trillion over 20 years, far exceeding the Pentagon's public estimate of roughly $185 billion through 2035.
The estimate, requested by Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., found acquisition costs alone could top $1 trillion, with a planned space-based interceptor layer accounting for about 60% of the total.
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