WASHINGTON, D.C. – Top military officials said the war with Iran has so-far cost about $37.5 billion dollars. They asked Senators this week for $87-billion more to help with their war efforts and to pay for new weapons and personnel.
“We cannot afford inaction,” said Sec. Pete Hegseth, Department of Defense Secretary. “If we don’t make critical investments right now in tech, in compute, in AI, in autonomy, in space, our adversaries who are already making these types of investments could outpace us.”
Both Democrats and Republicans aired their concerns about the additional supplemental on top of the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion-dollar defense budget.
“You’re asking literally for 1.5 trillion dollars for a war that President Trump said he already won,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY). “You’re asking for 1.5 trillion dollars, unlimited money for bombs but insufficient money for the American people for their healthcare, their food, their housing.”
Republicans pressed military officials about their war plans.
“Would they [Iran] try to redevelop, commence developments of a nuclear warhead,” asked Sen. John Kennedy (R- LA).
“Part of the reason President Trump had to do what he did after [Operation] Midnight Hammer was that they didn’t give up their ambitions even though their nuclear sites had been obliterated,” responded Sec. Hegseth. “So, this is a regime hellbent on nuclear ambitions.”
“Guys we need straight answers,” responded Sen. Kennedy. “We need straight answers.”
Earlier this month the President announced the ceasefire with Iran was over and since then the fighting has intensified. In the hearing, tensions flared up over the loss of US service members due to the war.
“You, sir, are the failure,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D- MI) to Secretary Hegseth. “Not the men and women who are on that front line, not the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction. But if there’s a lack of a winning strategy, they’re in harm’s way, their leaders have failed them and that’s what’s happening. We have political leadership. You, you don’t have a strategy. You don’t have a long-term plan to actually win this war. Win the war. The men and women are going to be able to do it, but they need to have leadership. When will you show leadership?”
