The Pentagon needs $80 billion to cover the cost of the war with Iran, as well as other non-war expenses, according to what Deputy Secretary of Defense Steven Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week.
Lawmakers are pressuring the Trump administration to present the total cost of the war, which began on February 28. Among their concerns is that the military has depleted valuable munitions that may be needed to address threats in other parts of the world.
Pentagon leadership has warned that money for operations may begin to run out this summer unless Congress passes a new war spending bill, stressing that the armed forces will be forced to cut training exercises and other priorities due to the war in Iran and troop deployments to the southern U.S. border.
It is noted that any supplemental Pentagon request must first be approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before being submitted to Congress, while the Pentagon's budget for the current fiscal year 2026 amounts to about $1 trillion.
The Pentagon, however, is quite confident in the plan, with Feinberg briefing lawmakers in recent days. Part of this money will go to naval operations, personnel salaries, and munitions. A full U.S. supplemental request, which will include funds for the Pentagon as well as non-defense priorities such as agricultural aid and disaster relief, may be sent to lawmakers in the coming days.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Feinberg's calls came the same week that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with senior Republican senators at the Capitol, where he raised the possibility of defense funding requests.
The military is facing a sharp increase in costs from various operations this year, including the war in Iran—with the Pentagon estimating the cost at $29 billion in mid-May, a figure now likely higher—the attack on Venezuela, and repeated strikes against suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
Any request for war spending that reaches the Capitol is likely to spark debate among lawmakers over Trump's decision to start the war. Some members have warned they will not vote for additional funding unless Congress votes to authorize military operations, as was done in the first Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is recalled that the Trump administration never sought congressional approval for the war in Iran, and Democrats argue that it is therefore illegal.
Most bills typically require 60 votes to advance in the Senate, meaning Republicans will need to secure votes from at least some Democrats.
However, Senate Republicans could turn to a special procedure that allows the Senate to bypass the 60-vote rule and pass legislation with a simple majority, an approach some senior Republicans have already expressed opposition to. In the House, a simple majority is required, with Republicans holding a narrow majority in both chambers.
