The Pentagon Needs $80 Billion to Cover War-Related Costs – WSJ
The U.S. Department of Defense needs about $80 billion to cover expenses related to the war in Iran and other urgent budgetary obligations not directly related to that conflict, according to The Wall Street Journal. According to the publication, these are additional financial needs that have arisen amid rising defense spending.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Steven Feinberg informed lawmakers of this during telephone conversations.
The publication adds that the full U.S. supplemental request, which will include funding for the Pentagon as well as non-defense priorities, such as agriculture and disaster relief, may be sent to lawmakers in the coming days.
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm this information. The White House and the Pentagon were not immediately available for comment outside of business hours when reporters contacted them.
The war with Iran cost about $25 billion, a Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters in April, providing the first official estimate of military spending.
However, the full cost of the conflict, which the U.S. launched alongside Israel on February 28, remains an open question on Capitol Hill, and the initial request for $200 billion in additional funding has met with stiff resistance from lawmakers.
White House Budget Director Russell Vought stated at a hearing of the House Budget Committee in April that he did not have an estimate of the war’s cost, while defending the U.S. president’s request for an annual military budget of $1.5 trillion.
The proposed budget reflects Republican priorities ahead of the November midterm elections, in which the party is seeking to retain control of Congress, but faces growing voter concerns about the rising cost of living, high energy prices, and the financial burden of the war in Iran, the WSJ reports.
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