US Defense Secretary Pat Hegseth said the US has spent about $37.5 billion so far on the ongoing war with Iran, about $8 billion more than the previous estimate given in May.
Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that Congress needs to approve another $87 billion for the Pentagon, $67 billion of which would be allocated for military operations in the Middle East.
Anti-war protesters interrupted the hearing several times, and a heated exchange between the defense secretary and a senator ended the session.
It was Hegseth’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since the renewed fighting with Iran last week. Three US soldiers have also been confirmed dead in the region.
The White House in April requested a $1.5 trillion budget for the Pentagon for the next fiscal year, which would bring U.S. defense spending to a record high in modern times.
The United States launched airstrikes on Iran for the 11th consecutive day on Tuesday, while Iran has retaliated against U.S. and allied targets in the Middle East.
Hegseth began his remarks by saying, “We live in a dangerous world, and this situation requires bold and urgent action.”
After protesters intervened, he said the request for additional funding was being made at a critical time.
He warned that “if these funds are not provided, we will face severe financial losses that will jeopardize the payment of soldiers’ salaries, the prompt delivery of equipment and ammunition, and the continuation of critical military operations.”
According to Hegseth, every dollar approved will be used to increase the U.S. military’s “warfighting capability” and strengthen “peace through strength.”
The committee’s Republican chairwoman, Susan Collins, asked what the impact would be if the required budget was not provided.
Pat Hegseth responded that there would be cuts to current and future military training. She blamed the former President Joe Biden’s administration for this situation, saying that the military did not receive adequate funding during that period.
Patty Murray, the most senior Democrat on the committee, opposed the funding request, saying that “this request does not seem very logical.”
In response to a question from Senator Dick Durbin, Pat Hegseth said that the cost of the Iran war has reached $37.5 billion so far.
However, two Democratic sources and another informed source told BBC partner CBS News that the real cost could be much higher, because the current estimate does not include costs such as rebuilding damaged US bases.
No official estimate of the war costs had been released by the government since May 12. At the time, a senior Pentagon official put the cost at $29 billion.
The Pentagon has previously told lawmakers that the US had spent $11.3 billion in the first week of the war.
Pete Hegseth argued that the additional money, if approved, would be a “generational or historic investment” that would save the US from having to chase other countries’ troops.
Although Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire in April, the agreement collapsed and fighting resumed last week.
During the hearing, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York accused the Trump administration of asking Congress for “unlimited money for bombing” while the American people were struggling to buy food for their families.
She asked why tens of billions of dollars were needed when the president had already claimed victory in the war?
The hearing ended in a heated exchange between Democratic Senator Gary Peters and Pat Hegseth.
Peters called Hegseth a “failure” and said the Trump administration had started another “endless war.”
To this, Pat Hegseth responded, “You should be ashamed.” He added that the senator has an “unique hatred for Trump.”
Most Democrats oppose the additional budget, while there are also differences within the Republican Party. Some fiscally conservative Republicans want to make cuts in other areas in exchange for additional defense spending.
On the other hand, the House of Representatives goes on recess on Thursday and the two houses of Congress will not meet together until September. So even if Republicans get the necessary votes, it could be months before the Pentagon receives funding.
Meanwhile, President Trump shared a list of America’s long and bloody wars from the past on the social media platform Truth Social from the White House, comparing their duration and casualties to the current Iran war.
He wrote that 18 Americans have been killed so far in the Iran war that began on February 28.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced the death of 30-year-old US soldier Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton in Iraq. In addition, 28-year-old Sergeant Angel Rempersad was reported missing and presumed dead in Jordan.
A day earlier, the military identified two other personnel killed in Jordan as Private First Class Isabella Gonzalez (19 years old) and First Lieutenant Tyler Feehan (25 years old).
President Trump will visit an air base in the US state of Delaware on Wednesday, where the flag-draped coffins of these soldiers will be brought home.
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