Scott Perry says ‘we gotta pay for this somehow,’ wants Iran to fund US war effort
WASHINGTON, DC: Republican congressman Scott Perry argued that Iran should pay for the current conflict, as lawmakers review a massive $200 billion funding request linked to US military moves.
His comments came up while Congress is still determining how to handle the additional spending.
Perry proposes unique plan to fund US military operations
Perry proposed a novel funding mechanism for the $200 billion the White House says it is seeking to continue operations against Iran: having the Iranians cover the cost.
Perry appeared on Thursday’s edition of 'The Source' on CNN, where Kaitlan Collins asked if he would support such an appropriation.
The lawmaker responded that he wants to see the details and that the high price tag is likely just a starting point for negotiations with Congress. He added that he wants Iran to foot the bill.
The suggestion reflects ongoing debate within the Republican Party over how to approach the funding request.
“I support the president,” he said. “I support this action. But at the same time, we’ve got to pay for this. So, how is this going to be dealt with?”
“I would actually like to see Iran pay for this, whether it’s $20 billion or $200 billion, whatever it is.”
The proposal comes as the administration prepares to seek roughly $200 billion in additional funds to support operations tied to the Iran conflict.
Congressman says Iran should cover cost of US war effort
While many GOP lawmakers have expressed support for military action, some have raised questions about the scale of spending and how it would be financed.
“Look, they’ve been at war with us for 47 years, and it’s finally being ended by the president, which is awesome, but it comes at a cost. And they have resources. They have been siphoning those resources away from their population for those four and a half, five decades.”
Collins seemed taken aback by the idea. “You want to see whatever this costs the US taxpayer, whatever the Pentagon does come to you and asks for, to be offset by Iran?” she asked.
“Well, I think we gotta pay for this somehow, right?” Perry replied before insisting that Iran started the war. “I don’t see any reason why the people that started this war – it’s not the United States of America – it’s Iran.”
The funding discussions come amid an ongoing US military campaign involving Iran, which has heightened tensions across the region. Lawmakers have also been engaged in debates over congressional authority and oversight of military action.
“Yeah, right now, Iran’s not gonna pay for it,” Perry clarified. “But under a different paradigm where the ayatollah’s not in charge, and we have a different system of governance.”
