The White House has made a request to Congress for supplemental funding to support the war against Iran and other initiatives.
The request is for $87.6 billion. The Office of Management and Budget says the money would pay for "urgent needs related to Operation Epic Fury (OEF), in addition to other critical needs such as responding to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa and supporting hardworking American farmers."
Funds would be used to replenish depleted munitions stocks, pay for personnel and readiness expenses. More than $700 million would be used to support the Department of Energy's "nuclear and other energy security requirements" as related to the operation.
$10 billion is earmarked for farmers, to be deployed as "temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops planted in crop year 2026." Another $1.1 billion would subsidize farmers in Florida who have dealt with recent storm damage.
$1.4 billion would go to addressing the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa.
The request also calls for $500 million "to support ongoing efforts to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C." and $1 billion for an effort to modernize Penn Station in New York City.
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Lawmakers issued statements responding to the request:
"We look forward to fully reviewing the details of the request with our colleagues," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) and Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA). "The Appropriations Committee will continue working to ensure our military remains ready, our deterrent remains credible, and our nation is secure."
Meanwhile, multiple Democratic members of Congress have criticized the administration's prosecution of the war without Congressional authorization.
Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement that read in part:
"For months, the administration has failed to answer basic questions about its aims and justification for the Iran war and failed to provide the most basic information about its costs. It is clear, however, that this request is not merely meant to pay for the president’s disastrous war, but an attempt to secure tens of billions of additional dollars for unrelated Pentagon priorities that should rightly be considered through the annual appropriations process."
"As with every funding request that comes before this Committee we will give each provision its due consideration, but Democrats will not support tens of billions of dollars for Trump’s aimless war, which the House and Senate have both voted to end," said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
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The request comes as Congress just voted to at least symbolically curtail President Trump's war powers.
On Tuesday, The Senate approved a war powers resolution passed earlier by the House, marking the first time that Congress has unified to rebuke the president over the war against Iran.
The vote passed 50-48.
