All articles tagged with #supplemental funding
In back-to-back budget hearings, Defense Secretary Hegseth faced bipartisan scrutiny over funding for the Iran war and the $1.45 trillion Pentagon spending request, with lawmakers pressing for a concrete supplemental plan (about $29 billion so far), questions on the use of reconciliation for defense funds, and ongoing debates over Ukraine aid and Germany troop withdrawals that could shape support for the budget.
The Pentagon has asked for an additional $200 billion in supplemental funding to sustain the war on Iran, a figure four times higher than earlier estimates and part of a record defense-budget push for 2027. The request has been sent to the White House for review before Congress, with officials signaling it could rise further. Analysts warn that while immediate costs are enormous, the long-term bill—covering veterans’ benefits and interest—could reach trillions, and critics question whether Congress authorized such a costly, potentially protracted conflict.
A CSIS analysis calculates that the first 100 hours of the US-Israel campaign against Iran cost about $3.7 billion, most of it unbudgeted and likely to necessitate supplemental funding, with domestic inflation pressures and casualties shaping public and political reaction.
The White House will meet with top House lawmakers to discuss plans for sending aid to Israel, as the Biden administration prepares a supplemental funding request to support Israel's military and defense capabilities in its conflict with Hamas. The meeting aims to brief key leaders on the situation in Israel and Ukraine, but it remains uncertain whether the House can act on such legislation before Republicans choose a new speaker. The White House has also considered tying Israel aid to funding for Ukraine, a move that some House Republicans have warned could jeopardize support for the entire package.
The recently passed debt ceiling deal, which suspended the debt ceiling until 2025, is already causing divisions among party lines and factions of the House GOP. Some Senate Republicans are upset about curbing defense funding through the deal, while some Republicans have lauded reforms in the bill they say would allow for a significant cut to federal spending. The bill also includes a penalty of automatic across-the-board cuts if lawmakers don’t finish their annual spending bills by the end of the calendar year. Some Democrats have already signaled they’re prepared to pry open the door to more funding for domestic programs pared back in the debt bill if Republicans do so for defense funds.