Washington- In a sign that mounting battlefield costs and dwindling ammunition stocks are straining the US war effort in the Gulf, the Republican-controlled House narrowly approved a USD 95 billion emergency budget package on Wednesday aimed largely at replenishing America’s military arsenal and sustaining President Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran.
The measure, passed 216-214 along party lines, allocates USD 60 billion to the Pentagon and USD 13 billion for broader national security operations, after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned lawmakers that the Pentagon was running short of funds as the war entered its second week.
The latest package comes after Washington has already spent an estimated USD 37.5 billion on the Iran war, according to Hegseth, amid an intensive campaign of airstrikes, missile interceptions and naval operations in the Gulf.
Republicans argued the additional funding was essential to keep US forces battle-ready and replenish rapidly depleting stocks of precision-guided munitions and other military equipment consumed during sustained operations against Iran.
Democrats, however, blasted the proposal as a massive bailout for what they called Trump’s “failed war in Iran”, arguing the billions should instead be directed toward easing economic pressures at home.
The package now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain as Republicans remain divided over both the soaring cost of the conflict and how the additional military spending should be financed.
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