White House asks Congress for $88 billion in emergency funding for Iran war, ‘other critical needs’

The White House is requesting Congress pass $87.6 billion in emergency appropriations for the Iran war and “other critical needs” such as economic assistance for farmers. 

The supplemental funding request transmitted to lawmakers on Wednesday has been expected for months as administration officials have said they will need to rebuild weapons stocks depleted in Operation Epic Fury and backfill accounts that have been used to pay for the myriad costs of war. 

“The Administration’s request addresses operational costs incurred by the Department of War (DOW) during OEF, including funding for military personnel and readiness expenses, operational costs to rebuild stocks expended by DOW, classified programs, and other key expenses,” White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell T. Vought wrote in a letter accompanying the supplemental request. 

Democrats, who have opposed the war in Iran, are not eager to help pay for it. 

“After dragging America into a reckless war, [President Trump] now wants Congress to hand him tens of billions more to paper over the damage — while families are still paying higher prices,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, posted on social media. “We should be lowering costs for the American people, not writing another blank check for Trump.”

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican, said he supports the administration’s request and urged his colleagues to act on it “without delay.”

“This supplemental funding is essential in the near term to maintain readiness through training and military pay,” he said. “The request would also accelerate immediate production of key capabilities, from exquisite munitions to low-cost hypersonics, strike weapons, and drones. Supplemental resources will help ensure that our forces remain the most capable, lethal, and ready in the world.”

The White House is asking for $67.1 billion for the Defense Department, including $21 billion for munitions replacements and $17.3 billion for operational costs.

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The next largest bucket under the defense request is $12.1 billion for classified programs. 

Other defense requests include $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and “autonomy;” $4 billion for “Airborne Moving Target Indication and Space Data Network Backbone;” $2.4 billion for drones; $1.7 billion for military readiness and $800 million for National Guard support. 

The high fuel costs resulting from the war also factored into the request. The administration wants $1.5 billion for the costs of fueling its massive military fleet. 

A remaining $1.2 billion is requested for unspecified “administration priorities” that fall under the Defense Department. 

The administration is also requesting funds for a handful of other departments and agencies that have aided in Operation Epic Fury: $2 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard; nearly $2 billion for the State Department; $95.5 million for the Energy Department, $40 million for the FBI, $36.2 million for the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and $13 million for the Department of Homeland Security.

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The White House is also seeking $672 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration to aid in the “complete and verifiable termination of Iran’s ability to develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, including the disposition of proliferation sensitive material, technology, equipment, and infrastructure.”

The war-related funding makes up the bulk of the request, but the administration is also seeking money to address other needs. 

That includes $11.1 billion for the Agriculture Department to support American farmers.  

Most of that money, $10 billion, would provide temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops planted this year. 

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The remaining $1.1 billion would be used to help Florida agricultural producers “rebound from devastating losses that were the result of crippling storms this past winter,” Mr. Vought said. 

The administration is also requesting $1.4 billion for the State Department to respond to the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa. 

“These funds would be used to limit the spread of Ebola beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to other vulnerable nations and ensure the virus does not reach U.S. shores,” Mr. Vought said. 

He also highlighted some smaller non-war-related requests: “$500 million to support ongoing efforts to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C., $1 billion to assist in the final design and construction of a modernized Penn Station in New York City, $600 million to support the General Services Administration, and $1 billion to increase the benefit levels for participants of certain pension plans that were sponsored by Delphi Corporation and terminated as a result of General Motors’ bankruptcy in 2009.” 

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The White House also requested that any supplemental funding bill include revisions to federal hemp regulations, added flexibility to previously provided funding for a new air traffic control system and higher loan limits for small manufacturers. 

The administration is also asking Congress to codify the permanent, year-round sale of E-15, an ethanol-gasoline fuel blend. 

A bill to do so passed the House but has stalled in the Senate amid GOP divisions on the issue. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican and E-15 champion, praised the administration’s decision to include it in the war funding request, a pairing he suggested three months ago. 

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“E15 = ENERGY SECURITY and ENERGY SECURITY = NATL SECURITY,” Mr. Grassley posted on X.

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Lindsey McPherson

lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com

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