The Trump administration is seeking approximately $87.6 billion from Congress, primarily to replenish the Pentagon's weapon stockpiles amid the four-month-long war with Iran and for related initiatives. The request includes $67 billion for the Department of War and $2 billion for the Coast Guard's involvement in Operation Epic Fury.
The FBI and the Department of Energy are also slated to receive funds totaling $40 million and $95.5 million, respectively, for their roles in the conflict. The Pentagon's request earmarks $21 billion specifically for replenishing munitions, though the memo does not detail which particular weapons are needed. There is no allocated funding for rebuilding U.S. bases damaged during the war.
While the funding request does include $300 million for the Department of State to repair and restore facilities, such as embassies, in Bahrain, the UAE, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, the bulk is directed towards military readiness. The U.S. has reportedly depleted significant stockpiles of specialized munitions, including Patriot, THAAD, Tomahawk, and SM3 missiles, which were utilized in operations against Iran and for defensive purposes.
This funding request follows a significant increase in the estimated cost of the war. In early May, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth testified before Congress that the conflict had cost approximately $29 billion. However, the administration's current request suggests the cost has risen to roughly $70 billion, despite a ceasefire having been active for months.
Democrats have voiced strong opposition to the supplemental spending package. Senator Patty Murray stated that the administration has failed to provide clear justifications and cost details for the war, arguing the request goes beyond wartime needs to fund other Pentagon priorities. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, echoed this sentiment, asserting that Democrats would not support funding for what she termed an "aimless war" that both the House and Senate have voted to end.
The funding request coincides with the Senate passing a resolution to curtail the president's ability to wage wars abroad, a move largely seen as symbolic but indicative of congressional frustration over the administration's handling of foreign conflicts and a lack of transparency.
Beyond the war-related funding, the White House has also requested over $11 billion for economic assistance to U.S. farmers, $1.4 billion to address the Ebola outbreak, $1 billion for modernizing New York's Penn Station, and $500 million for restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C.