Congress is hiding Trump’s $45 billion Iran war bill until after you vote

Published September 30, 2026 7:00am ET



On Nov. 3, voters will decide who controls Congress while the war with Iran is still underway. What they will not decide is how that war gets paid for. Congress has scheduled that question for after they cast their ballots. My previous op-ed for the Washington Examiner asked who has the power to declare war. This one asks a quieter question: who has agreed to pay for it?

The answer describes a failure with no single villain, which is why it deserves a careful look.

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