National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that the Trump administration does not currently need more money from Congress for the war in Iran, even as the operation’s cost has already climbed into the billions.
Hassett Says Current Funds Are Enough
Asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” whether the White House would need more funding, Hassett said, “I think right now we’ve got what we need, whether we have to go back to Congress for more is something that I think that Russ Vought and OMB will look into, but the latest number, you said $11.3 [billion], the latest number I was briefed on was $12 [billion], and so it’s consistent.”
He added that the administration already has the weapons in place and is “not necessarily” going to need a supplemental package. Hassett also repeated the administration’s claim that the war effort is “ahead of schedule.”
War Costs Fuel Capitol Hill Pressure
Reuters reported last week that Trump administration officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that the first six days of the war had cost at least $11.3 billion, including $5.6 billion in munitions in the first two days alone. That estimate has fueled pressure on Capitol Hill, where House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last week that a military supplemental was “inevitable,” though he said the details and timing were still unclear.
Trump Keeps Timeline And Goals Vague
The White House has remained vague about how long the war will last. President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday, “Any time I want it to end, it will end,” even as the administration has offered shifting timelines and goals. Earlier this month, Trump also said the United States had a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and could fight wars “forever” with existing stocks.
In a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said Iran wanted to negotiate a peace deal, but he rejected it because he believed the terms still were not good enough. He did not say what changes he wanted, and he added that he was working with other countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz as oil prices climbed.
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