White House seeks $87B emergency funding as Iran conflict escalates, Hegseth testifies

[00:00:00]As the war in Iran escalates, the White House now asking Congress for more money. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth among those testifying on Capitol Hill today, defending the administration's nearly $90 billion supplemental spending request. The national news desk, Jeff Harris joins us. We know, Jeff, that these funds are being sought as lawmakers push for answers about the ongoing war, including the recent deaths we've learned of four service members. Tell us more.

[00:00:27]>> So, from growing costs to military casualties and fierce clashes over nuclear claims, Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Cain, dueling with Senate lawmakers just today as they seek more money for the Iran war, specifically $67 billion of the Trump administration's $87.6 billion supplemental funding request.

[00:00:49]>> And at what point do you stop asking Americans to foot the bill for a war they don't support?

[00:00:54]>> I I I would hope for some perspective in this town of the historic nature of what President Trump is undertaking. Do you want radical >> I I don't want I don't want to hear that on the world.

[00:01:02]>> During an explosive hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, committee Democrats heavily criticizing the funding request, repeatedly questioning why American taxpayers should foot the bill for an unapproved quote forever war.

[00:01:14]>> This president says we can afford can't afford health care. We can't afford child care. We can't afford housing. But somehow we can always afford another war.

[00:01:24]>> But Hegseth pushing back, warning without this cash injection, the military faces immediate budget constraints and possibly a reduction in troop training.

[00:01:33]>> Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members.

[00:01:38]>> This new supplemental funding request would allocate just over $67 billion to help cover the cost of the Iran conflict, including for munitions, operational costs, and classified programs. Hegseth disclosing on Tuesday the war has cost $37.5 billion However, CNN reports analysts estimated back in March the war is costing American taxpayers over $890 million a day. Meanwhile, multiple Republicans coming to both Hegseth and Cain's defense saying the supplemental funding request helps the US move forward.

[00:02:11]>> General Cain, what happens if Congress doesn't fund this $21 billion request for additional munitions?

[00:02:18]>> If we don't as a team figure out how to properly fund the department then you know, we're not going to get the munitions.

[00:02:28]>> But tensions did boil multiple times including bipartisan scrutiny with lawmakers demanding to know how the administration plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz which remains closed.

[00:02:38]Plus Democrats challenging Hegseth over the justification for the war noting the administration claimed last year it obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities but launched a full war in April of this year claiming Iran was weeks away from a weapon.

[00:02:53]>> Which is true. Was it obliterated or wasn't it? What what's the status?

[00:02:57]>> The nuclear sites under midnight hammer were obliterated but Iranians foolishly continued to attempt to pursue nuclear capabilities which is why we destroyed their defense industrial base. We're staying laser focused on the objective and you're trying to make campaign commercials.

[00:03:12]>> Now the hearing comes after four US soldiers were recently killed including three in an Iranian attack. The deaths bringing the total number of service members killed since the war began back in February to 18. Reporting from the national news desk, I'm Jeff Harrison.