The White House has requested $87.6bn in new funding from Congress, with the bulk allocated to cover costs of Donald Trump's war with Iran. However, top Democrats have signalled they will not support paying for an unpopular conflict that was never authorised by lawmakers.
The supplemental funding request, released on Wednesday, includes $67.1bn for Iran-related costs, encompassing $21bn for munitions and the defence industrial base. Additional funds cover $1.4bn for Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, $11.1bn for US farmers affected by tariffs and higher input prices, and a proposal to allow year-round sales of E15 fuel.
The request comes as Congress is deadlocked over Trump's demand that the Senate pass the Save America Act, a voting bill. The president has linked its passage to other legislation, including a housing bill, leading to a halt in House votes and a Senate recess until 13 July.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray criticised the request, noting the Pentagon has $100bn in unspent funds. “I will not rubber stamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice,” she said. The conflict, initiated without congressional approval, is unpopular: a Reuters/Ipsos poll found only a quarter of Americans believe the US emerged stronger.
