WASHINGTON
The Pentagon’s $200 billion request to fund the war in Iran is facing steep criticism from taxpayers and American lawmakers alike, even before US President Donald Trump formally sends it to Congress for consideration.
Trump acknowledged the supplemental funding request in remarks to reporters at the White House Thursday, less than 24 hours after the gargantuan sum was first reported in US news outlets, saying it is being sought “for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we're talking about in Iran.”
The package is being reviewed by the White House before it is formally sent to Congress, and details on what exactly it will entail remain unclear. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to push back on criticism of the mammoth price tag, telling reporters at the Pentagon that while it may change, “it takes money to kill bad guys.”
“We're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is everything's refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond,” he said.
On Capitol Hill and beyond, however, there seems to be little appetite for backing a funding package that would further deepen the US fiscal deficit, particularly at a time of increasing economic strain for many Americans coping with a massive spike in energy prices caused by the conflict.
“The Iran War will cost $200B. Prices in the U.S. are spiking. The Middle East is on fire. A dozen soldiers are dead, more to come,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said through US social media company X. “And for what? Iran's new leaders are worse than the old ones, and they will keep their missile, drone and nuclear programs.”
That sentiment was widely shared among Democrats on both sides of the Hill, with Representative Rashida Tlaib adding: “Our government always has money for violence—whether it's for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or endless war. But they just made the largest cuts in history to your health care.”
“No. I will not vote for a penny more for this endless, illegal war,” said Democratic Sen. Ed Markey.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to back further spending, though he did not explicitly endorse the $200 billion total, saying instead that Congress must “adequately fund defense.”
“I’m sure it will be detailed and specified. I’m sure it’s not a random number, so we’ll look at that,” he told reporters on the Hill.
In order to get any package through his chamber, however, Johnson is going to need near-unanimous consent from his caucus, with Democrats all but certain to strongly oppose it.
That does not appear to be in the cards.
“I don’t know what’s going to come in yet, so everything’s up in the air,” Republican Representative Pete Stauber said when asked if he supports the package, according to the Politico news website. “I can’t qualify any answer for you.”
The US is in the midst of a midterm election year that places all members of Johnson’s House and one-third of the Senate up for re-election, making support for additional war funding at a time when Americans face increasing economic pressure politically volatile.
“We will have a negotiation at some point,” Representative Steve Scalise, the number two Republican in the House, said in response to a question over whether the sum could be reduced, according to Politico. “But it hasn’t started yet. … It will happen soon.”
Kelley Vlahos, the editor-in-chief of the Responsible Statecraft news magazine that is popular among the libertarian wing of the Republican Party, sharply criticized the need for additional Pentagon funding.
“Please don't insult our intelligence. The Pentagon has $153 billion in hand that it hasn't even allocated yet. Everyone knows that,” Vlahos wrote on X in response to Hegseth’s assertion that additional funding is needed “to kill bad guys.”
She was referring to additional Pentagon funding that was included in Trump’s signature spending bill, which he signed into law on July 4, 2025.
“Trump has been giving weapons/missile defense to Israel and depleting our own resources on their behalf since Jan. 2025. Take ownership,” Vlahos added, after Hegseth sought to peg blame for depleted war stocks on former President Joe Biden's administration.
Cenk Uygur, the co-founder of the progressive Young Turks news outlet, said Americans should be “absolutely furious” that the funds are being requested after many saw their healthcare premiums skyrocket in the wake of Republicans’ refusal to extend subsidies as they cut other social programs.
“I guarantee you if you asked for $200 billion in health care or food for American people, you'd be laughed out of Congress. There's no money for that! But as soon as Israel asks, it'll fly through Congress,” he said on X.
