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The White House on Wednesday officially asked Congress for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding to pay for the Iran war, curtail the ongoing Ebola outbreak and provide aid to U.S. farmers, among other requests, according to a copy obtained by The Hill.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought asked for $67 billion for the Defense Department, down from an expected $200 billion first floated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March.
But even with a smaller price tag, the bill will need some support from Democrats to pass in the Senate at a time when lawmakers in both parties are reluctant to authorize more spending amid the unpopular Middle East conflict.
It also comes as the Trump administration is pushing for a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget, a more than a 40 percent bump from last year, and as Washington is negotiating with Iranian officials to end the Middle East conflict, fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eventually do away with Tehran’s nuclear program.
“I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” Vought wrote in a seven-page letter.
The long-awaited package includes $1.7 billion for DOD readiness, $17.3 billion for Operational Costs, $1.5 billion for fuel costs, $1.2 billion for administration priorities, $21 billion for munitions, $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomy; $2.4 billion for drones, $800 million for National Guard support and $12.1 billion for other “classified” programs.
Shortly after the supplemental’s release, Democratic lawmakers were already throwing cold water on its passage.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn) said the package “seems designed to repel Democratic votes,” and “designed not to pass.”
“I don’t think anybody in the Democratic caucus is willing to appropriate billions of dollars to paper over the massive mistake of the Iran war,” he told The Hill.
Sen. Masie Hirono (D-Hawaii) also said she can’t see “how we’re going to come to the point where we’re going to support the funding of an illegal war” and would find it hard to get there, “especially as we are cutting domestic spending.”
But Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he “fully” supports the supplemental, saying the request is essential to ensure military readiness through military pay and training.
“The request would also accelerate immediate production of key capabilities, from exquisite munitions to low-cost hypersonics, strike weapons and drones,” Wicker said in a statement on Wednesday. “Supplemental resources will help ensure that our forces remain the most capable, lethal and ready in the world. I urge Congress to act without delay to pass this vital funding measure.”
In addition to the $67 billion for the Pentagon, the White House asked Congress to provide $2 billion for the Coast Guard in relation to Operation Epic Fury, the official name for the Iran war, $40 million for the FBI for Epic Fury and other classified programs, and $95.5 million for the Department of Energy, also for Epic Fury.
The administration is requesting over $1.5 billion for the State Department’s diplomatic Programs account, including $1.4 billion for the Worldwide Security Protection programs, $120 million for operations in U.S. missions in the region and $850 million for the department’s counter-unmanned aircraft systems. About $21 million for the department is part of a classified request.
The administration also wants $300 million for embassy security and restoring U.S. facilities damaged in Bahrain, Dubai, Karachi, Lahore and Riyadh during the Iran war.
Another $1.4 billion would go toward Ebola response, including $90 million for unanticipated needs of the outbreak in Central Africa, such as medical evacuations of Americans. Moreover, the administration wants $100 million for unanticipated needs in the Middle East, including abrupt departure of the U.S. citizens looking to leave the region with their families.
The administration asked for a further $550 million for Global Health Security to prevent, detect and respond to Ebola outbreak in Congo and other “vulnerable” countries, stating the funds would be used to support contact tracing, personal protective equipment and commodity procurement, disease surveillance, laboratory capacity and cross-border coordination.
“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,” Vought wrote.
An additional $11.1 billion would go to farm assistance following major agriculture losses due to Trump’s tariffs, higher costs and weather-related issues in Florida.
And a further $500 million is requested “to support ongoing efforts to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C.,” $1 billion for the final design and construction of a modernized Penn Station in New York City, $600 million for the General Services Administration, and $1 billion to increase pension benefits.
“As someone who does occasionally visit Penn Station, that’s lovely, but my hunch is it’s just a starting point, because if out of $87 billion, you can only identify one thing that is of interest to Democrats, that’s not a strong start,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), told The Hill.
-Helen Huiskes contributed to the report.
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