Republican Representative Mark Harris of North Carolina stated Sunday that Congress will probably have to rely on budget reconciliation to secure additional funding for the ongoing military campaign in Iran, a move designed to circumvent a likely Democratic filibuster in the Senate.
In an interview on NewsNation's "The Hill," Harris told host Chris Stirewalt that reconciliation is the only viable path forward given the lack of bipartisan support. "To be honest with you, it's probably going to take something along reconciliation to be able to do it because the Democrats don't offer us any votes to go along," he said. Budget reconciliation bills are immune to filibusters, requiring only a simple majority to pass.
The White House recently submitted a request for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military operation in Iran. That sum would be distributed across the departments of Defense and Energy, the Coast Guard, and the FBI, on top of the administration's proposed $1.15 trillion Pentagon budget.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump visited Capitol Hill earlier this week to rally support for the funding. Trump has also pressed lawmakers to approve $350 billion in additional defense spending as part of a third reconciliation package. However, the push faces headwinds from fiscal conservatives within the House GOP, who remain noncommittal on the extra outlays.
The funding is intended to replenish stocks of advanced munitions that were depleted before the conflict began. Harris said the money ensures "we get our weapons back to where we need to be from what we've already done" in Iran. "And I think that we want to make sure that America is strong and that our military remains the superpower that it really is," he added.
Public concern over the war's financial toll is mounting. A recent Gallup survey found that two-thirds of respondents reported financial hardship from rising gas prices, which spiked after Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict. The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains fragile and has been frequently violated.
On Capitol Hill, skepticism about a third reconciliation package is not limited to Democrats. Key Senate appropriators, including Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, have indicated they do not expect a third package to materialize. This internal GOP resistance echoes broader divisions over spending strategy as the party navigates its narrow majorities.
Harris's comments underscore the administration's determination to secure the funding despite these obstacles, setting the stage for a high-stakes legislative battle in the weeks ahead.
