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Trump’s Military Budget Hits Snags Amid Questions on Iran War Costs
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are resisting President Trump's push to raise the Pentagon’s budget to its highest level in modern history, signaling a potential conflict over military spending amid unclear costs of the war with Iran.
- The Trump administration is urging Republicans to bypass Democratic opposition and pass $350 billion in military spending through a special budget bill that cannot be filibustered, though this amount is only a portion of the requested $1.5 trillion budget for next year.
- Some Republicans doubt they can secure the near-unanimous party support needed to pass the measure, despite efforts by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rally GOP senators.
- Many Democrats oppose the annual defense policy bill due to concerns about the war with Iran, with most Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee voting against it, breaking the usual bipartisan consensus.
- Senator Mark Kelly and other Democrats have criticized the administration for failing to answer critical questions about the mission’s purpose, safety, and cost, refusing to approve what they see as a "blank check" for military spending.
