The Trump administration on Wednesday sent Congress a supplemental funding package requesting $87.6 billion, much of which is intended to cover the costs of the war with Iran. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought submitted the request for billions in extra spending to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Of the total request, approximately $67.15 billion is designated for the military. This includes $21 billion for munitions and other military capabilities, $17.3 billion for operational costs, and $12.1 billion for classified programs. The funds are intended to replenish military stocks and cover the cost of deploying forces to the Middle East, supplementing $1 trillion appropriated last year and a $1.5 trillion request for next year.
The request is likely to face an uphill battle in Congress, which voted a day earlier to rein in Trump's war powers. A top Democrat has signaled that the party will not support paying for an unpopular conflict that lawmakers never authorized.
This funding request comes amid a logjam in the US Congress. The stalemate was sparked by the president's demand that the Senate pass a measure to impose sweeping new restrictions on voting nationwide.