The Pentagon is pressing Congress for approximately $80 billion to cover expenses tied to the U.S. military campaign in Iran, a sum that would pile onto President Donald Trump's already ambitious defense spending plans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including a late Monday visit, while Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg briefed senators on the funding request last week, according to two sources familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has not yet submitted a formal request, but the proposal has sparked sharp debate. The $80 billion figure is intended primarily to replenish munitions and repair equipment depleted by the Iran conflict, though operational costs for deployed forces are also included. This comes as Trump seeks a record $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon—a nearly 50% increase over current fiscal year levels—with $1.1 trillion expected through regular appropriations and an additional $350 billion via a party-line vote later this summer.
Lawmakers Wary of Price Tag and Policy
The funding push arrives at a politically volatile moment. Many lawmakers are skeptical of the deal Trump struck with Iran to end hostilities and remain cautious about next steps. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged he anticipates a supplemental request, saying, “We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to replenish, resupply a lot our munitions that have been depleted—not only just with what’s happening with Iran, but prior to that.” However, he added that once the formal request arrives, “we’ll work through it and see where the votes are.”
Democratic opposition is fierce. Senator Patty Murray confronted Hegseth in a hearing last month, arguing, “You’re spending families’ hard-earned tax dollars on a war that many strongly oppose.” Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii predicted the actual cost could far exceed $80 billion and noted, “I haven’t found anyone who wants to do this.” The request also contrasts sharply with Hegseth’s earlier $29 billion estimate for war costs, which excluded repairs to damaged U.S. military sites in the region.
Republican Support and Broader Bargaining
Some Republicans see the funding as an opportunity. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana framed it as an investment, saying, “To me it’s less about the war, it’s more about the stockpiles. I would sell it to my state as an investment in our defense industrial base, reshoring defense production to Indiana.” Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota is working to expand the package to include disaster aid for states like California and Hawaii, as well as agricultural assistance, arguing, “I think that’s the kind of combination that could pass.”
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, insisted that any Iran supplemental must be part of a broader bipartisan agreement on total defense and non-defense spending. “Then the rest of this would follow pretty quickly,” Reed said. Hegseth, when asked about the war’s cost during a Senate hearing, countered rhetorically, “What is the cost of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon?” He acknowledged the president’s decision to confront that threat “comes with cost—and we recognize that.”
The Pentagon’s request is far lower than the initial $200 billion floated at the war’s outset, but higher than the $11.3 billion estimated for the first week of combat. As Hegseth declined to answer questions from reporters late Monday, the battle over funding is set to intensify, with lawmakers weighing military needs against domestic priorities and lingering doubts about the administration’s Iran strategy.
