Pentagon’s $87 Billion Iran War Funding Request Sparks Heated Senate Showdown
The U.S. Department of Defense has asked Congress for additional funding for the Iran war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the war has cost $37.5 billion since it began in February, as congressional Republicans prepare a roughly $95 billion funding bill
Overall, the administration’s request amounts to about $87.6 billion in new funding, the bulk of which would go toward the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. (PBS) Some reports indicate the Pentagon has also floated a request for as much as $200 billion in additional funds, which has drawn sharp criticism in Congress.
War Protesters Disrupt the Hearing
The session was disrupted from the start. Hegseth said the supplemental funding was an urgent, necessary injection of resources for the department’s needs, and he had to restart his opening remarks several times after protesters interrupted him.
Heated Exchange Between Hegseth and Senator Peters
The hearing’s most tense moment came between Democratic Senator Gary Peters (Michigan) and Hegseth. Peters said that despite Hegseth’s failure to win the war, he was once again asking Congress for nearly $70 billion in additional funding, effectively asking the American people for a blank check because the Trump administration’s efforts had been an utter failure to win the war.
Hegseth called Peters’ characterization irresponsible, saying it smeared the sacrifices of troops. Peters shot back, raising his voice, telling Hegseth that he was the failure .. not the men and women serving honorably on the front lines ….and that Hegseth lacked a long-term strategy to actually win the war.
Hegseth responded by accusing Peters of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and charged Democrats with playing partisan politics instead of funding the troops. Separately, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York) also pressed Hegseth hard, accusing him of seeking unlimited money for bombs while people can’t feed their families.
The hearing took place as the U.S. entered its 10th consecutive day of strikes on Iran, with lawmakers pressing the Pentagon for answers following the deaths of American service members in Jordan. (NewsNation)