U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Congress for $87.6 billion in emergency funding, including more than $67 billion tied to the war with Iran, one day after the Senate joined the House in voting to force an end to the conflict.
The request, sent to lawmakers and posted by the White House on Wednesday, sets up a new confrontation between Trump and Congress over a war that has become increasingly unpopular and politically dangerous for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The administration said the money would cover military operations, personnel, readiness, weapons replacement and classified programs connected to the Iran campaign. It includes $21 billion for munitions, industrial base expansion and other “critical capabilities.”
The request comes after the Senate passed a war powers resolution on Tuesday directing Trump to halt military action against Iran. The measure had already cleared the House, with several Republicans joining Democrats in a rare bipartisan rebuke of the president’s handling of the war.
Lawmakers from both parties have complained that Trump has failed to keep Congress properly informed since the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28. Critics also argue that the administration has ignored the constitutional authority of Congress to decide when the country goes to war.
Trump’s push for fresh war funding immediately drew resistance.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the president of demanding another “blank check” while Americans struggle with rising fuel and food prices linked to the conflict.
“We should be lowering costs for the American people, not writing another blank check for Trump,” Schumer said in a post on X.
Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she would examine the request to ensure U.S. servicemembers are supported, but warned she would not “rubber-stamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice.”
The vote could be especially difficult for Republicans, who hold narrow majorities in Congress and often need Democratic support to pass major spending bills. With midterm elections approaching, lawmakers face growing pressure over both the cost of the war and the administration’s failure to clearly define its objectives.
Trump also clashed with Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana during a lunch at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Cassidy was among the Republicans who backed the resolution calling for an end to military action against Iran.
The broader supplemental request also includes $1.4 billion for the Ebola outbreak in Africa, with $800 million for international humanitarian assistance and $500 million for global health security efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the disease.
“This funding is critical to protect Americans, and stop the spread to the United States,” the White House said.
The request comes after the Trump administration made steep cuts to USAID and African public health programmes before the outbreak.
The package also asks for $11.1 billion to support U.S. farmers, $1 billion for pensions linked to former General Motors parts unit Delphi, $500 million for construction projects in and around Washington, and $1 billion for the reconstruction of New York’s Penn Station.
