Hegseth wants $87B more for Iran war: Congress pushes back

[00:00:00]As the war in Iran escalates, the White House now asking Congress for more money. Secretary of War Pete Hexith 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.

[00:00:26]Tell us more. So, from growing costs to military casualties and fierce clashes over nuclear claims, Hegath and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, dueling with Senate lawmakers just today as they seek more money for the Iran war, specifically 67 billion dollar 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? 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 Islamists to have tear down 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 Hegathth 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.

[00:01:39]>> 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. Hegsathth disclosing on Tuesday the war has cost 37.5 billion dollars so far. 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 HEGs and Kane's defense saying the supplemental funding request helps the US move forward.

[00:02:11]>> General Kaine, what happens if Congress doesn't fund this $21 billion request for additional munitions? if we don't um as a team uh figure out how to properly fund uh the department, then uh 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 straight of Hormuz, which remains closed. Plus, Democrats challenging HEGP 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, >> which is true. Was it obliterated or wasn't it? What What's the status? 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 for the National News Desk, I'm Jeff Harris.