Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday confirmed the Pentagon is seeking at least $200 billion in additional federal funding for the Iran war, sparking scrutiny from lawmakers.
“As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move, obviously. It takes money to kill bad guys,” he told reporters, explaining that the Trump administration will ask Congress for additional funding to finance the war.
“We’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is — everything’s refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond,” Hegseth added.
The secretary’s statement confirms rumors that started on Wednesday, when the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon submitted a supplemental funding proposal totaling over $200 billion to the White House. Officials say the funding is needed to boost munitions stockpiles and ensure the military has weapons needed to eradicate Iran’s nuclear threat.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), who will hold a major role in crafting any supplemental funding package for the Pentagon, warned last week that the military is “perilously low” on weapons amid the war with Iran.
“Whether you agree or disagree with Iran, look, we are perilously low on some of the ammunition stocks that we would need if — God forbid, and nobody wants this — we got into a confrontation in the Western Pacific with the Chinese,” the top House Republican told the New York Post.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that $200 billion was “a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy-top.”
“We’re asking for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran. This is a very volatile world, and the military equipment, the power of some of this weaponry is unthinkable,” the president said.
A few details of the supplemental funding request have left lawmakers on both sides of the aisle with questions.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) called the $200 billion figure “a little tall” in a Fox Business interview.
“They do need to come to … Capitol Hill and tell us what that money is going to be spent on. I think we give the Pentagon a trillion dollars a year, you would think that would be enough, but we’re going to have to do something.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) told Politico he thinks the Pentagon will need “a very generous amount,” but said he has “not seen anything specific yet.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who also sits on the committee, confirmed the $200 billion figure “has been discussed informally by administration officials,” in comments to MS Now.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said the figure “doesn’t scare me,” while stating the administration “is going to have to make their case. “Maybe this is just another Art of the Deal move, or maybe it’s all necessary,” he said.
“They have to show their numbers, how they got there,” added Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). “But I think we do need a supplemental. Otherwise, we’re going to have no weapon stocks and things like that.”
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, told CBS News on Sunday that U.S. military operations against Iran have cost $12 billion since the war was launched on Feb. 28. The $200 billion additional request comes in addition to the Pentagon’s existing $1 trillion budget. This year, Trump called for a 50% increase to that budget, saying an expansion is needed to build a “dream military.”
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In his latest update on the war, Hegseth said that all 11 of the Iranian submarines have been destroyed and that the U.S. military damaged or sunk more than 120 of Iran’s ships. He declined to offer a concrete timeline for when the U.S. believes its objectives will be reached in Iran.
“It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to on behalf of the American people to ensure our security,’” Hegseth said Thursday morning. “So no time set on that, but we’re very much on track.”
