The White House has asked Congress to approve $87.6 billion in emergency funding, mostly to cover the cost of the US war against Iran, just a day after lawmakers moved to rebuke President Donald Trump’s Iran strikes.
According to reports, around $67 billion of the request is meant for the Pentagon. The money would be used for military operations, weapons replacement, fuel, drones, personnel costs and classified programmes linked to the Iran conflict.
The timing has triggered a fresh political storm in Washington. The request came shortly after Congress voted on a war powers measure aimed at limiting further US military action against Iran without lawmakers’ approval. Many Democrats, and some Republicans, have accused the administration of bypassing Congress and failing to give clear briefings on the military campaign.
The package is not limited to war spending. It also includes $11.1 billion in aid for American farmers, $1.4 billion for the Ebola response in Central Africa, and funds for infrastructure and restoration projects in Washington, D.C.
Democrats criticised the proposal, saying the administration was asking taxpayers to fund a costly and unpopular war while Americans face pressure from rising prices. The White House, however, argued that the money is needed urgently to maintain defence readiness and replenish military supplies.
The request will now go before House and Senate appropriators, who can approve, reject or reshape the proposal. With anger growing over the Iran conflict, the funding fight is expected to become another major test of Trump’s war powers and his hold over Congress.
