Pentagon Tells Lawmakers It Needs $80 Billion for Iran War and Other Bills – WSJ
The Pentagon has told lawmakers it needs $80 billion in additional funding to cover costs tied to the war in Iran and other non-war expenses, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg said in phone briefings this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Lawmakers have been pushing the administration for a full accounting of the war’s cost, which began Feb. 28, amid concerns that heavy munitions use could weaken readiness for other global threats. Pentagon officials have warned the military could run short of operating funds by this summer unless Congress approves a supplemental spending bill, potentially forcing cuts to training and other priorities.
The funding request, which still requires White House Office of Management and Budget approval before reaching Congress, would help cover ship operations, personnel pay, munitions, and related costs. Feinberg has already briefed lawmakers on the plan, and a broader supplemental package that also includes nondefense spending like disaster and farm aid could be sent to Congress in the coming days.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also raised the issue with Republican senators, as the military faces rising costs from multiple operations this year, including the Iran war, which officials previously estimated at about $29 billion and now likely higher, as well as other deployments and strikes abroad.
The proposal is expected to trigger a major political fight.
Some lawmakers have warned they will not approve additional war funding unless Congress first authorizes military operations, as it did for the first Gulf War and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Trump administration did not seek congressional authorization for the Iran war, and Democrats have argued it is therefore illegal.
Most legislation requires 60 votes to advance in the Senate, meaning Republicans would need some Democratic support. Senate Republicans could instead use budget reconciliation, which allows them to bypass the 60-vote threshold and pass budget-related legislation with a simple majority, though some senior Republican appropriators have already said they oppose that approach.
