White House asks Congress to approve $87.6 billion for Iran war, farm aid
WASHINGTON, DC: The White House has requested Congress to approve $87.6bn in new funding for "urgent needs", much of which will go towards the costs of the Iran war, which Donald Trump initiated in February alongside Israel without first requesting official permission.
The Office of Management and Budget sent the supplemental spending request on Wednesday, June 24, just a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action.
The request also demands funding for a range of other items, including aid to American farmers, help for the Ebola crisis in Africa, and other needs closer to home, including restoration projects in Washington, DC.
"I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible," said OMB Director Russ Vought in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
White House demands funds related to the Iran war
In the letter, the office has asked for $67 billion for the Defense Department, down from an expected $200 billion first floated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March.
The long-awaited proposal earmarks billions of dollars for military operations, with $21 billion dedicated to munitions and $17.3 billion for operational costs. It also includes $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomous capabilities, $2.4 billion for drones, $1.7 billion for Pentagon readiness, $1.5 billion for fuel, $1.2 billion for administration priorities, $800 million to support the National Guard, and $12.1 billion set aside for classified programs.
Beyond the $67 billion earmarked for the Pentagon, the White House is seeking an additional $2 billion for the Coast Guard to support Operation Epic Fury, along with $40 million for the FBI for the operation and other classified initiatives, and $95.5 million for the Department of Energy to back the same mission.
Another $11.1 billion has been asked for economic assistance for American farmers, $1.4 billion for the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa, and $500 million to support ongoing efforts "to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, DC."
It comes as the Trump administration is pushing for a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget, a more than 40 percent bump from last year.
Notably, Hegseth, in early May, testified before Congress that the war had only cost $29 billion, though many critics thought that number was low.
The request comes amid reports that the United States has significantly depleted its stockpiles of advanced munitions, including Patriot, THAAD, Tomahawk, and SM-3 missiles, used both in strikes against Iran and to defend US forces and allies from incoming attacks.
Democrats slam the White House’s request
Shortly after the supplemental’s release, Democratic lawmakers were already throwing cold water on its passage.
Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, brutally slammed the request, calling it merely payment for "the president's disastrous war, but an attempt to secure tens of billions of additional dollars for unrelated Pentagon priorities that should rightly be considered through the annual appropriations process."
"I will closely review this request in its entirety and ensure we take care of our servicemembers, but I will not rubberstamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice,” he added.
Top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, similarly wrote: 'Democrats will not support tens of billions of dollars for Trump’s aimless war, which the House and Senate have both voted to end.'
