The White House formally asked Congress on Wednesday to approve $87.6 billion in new spending, with the bulk of it tied to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, even as lawmakers from both parties showed growing resistance to further funding the conflict.
Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, submitted the request to House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging the chamber to act quickly. The largest chunk of the package, roughly $67 billion, is earmarked for the Department of Defense, covering military personnel costs, operational expenses, and stock replenishment. Of that total, $21 billion would go toward munitions, $17.3 billion to operational costs, and $21.1 billion to classified programmes.
The request is a significant step down from the $200 billion the Pentagon sought earlier this year, but it is far from guaranteed a smooth ride. The proposal arrives one day after Senate passed a war powers resolution demanding Trump either halt military operations against Iran or seek congressional authorization. Four Republican senators crossed party lines to support the measure, a sign of how deeply the war has fractured the president’s own party.
Public opinion is not on the administration’s side either. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found just 24 percent of Americans believe the war is worth its cost.
To broaden the bill’s appeal, the package also includes $11.1 billion in farm aid, $1.4 billion for Ebola response efforts in Africa, and $1 billion for upgrades to New York’s Penn Station. Democrats have already said they will not support it.
