The White House submitted a supplemental spending request that would send most of the money to the War Department after Operation Epic Fury while also funding agricultural aid, Ebola response efforts and projects in Washington, D.C., and New York.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The White House has asked Congress to approve $87.6 billion in supplemental spending, with most of the money aimed at replenishing the War Department after the U.S. conflict with Iran.
The Office of Management and Budget sent the request to Congress on Wednesday as lawmakers in both parties continue raising objections to additional military action connected to Iran.
The largest portion of the package would cover costs tied to Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign targeting Iran’s political leadership and military infrastructure. The request also includes money for American farmers, Ebola response efforts in Africa, restoration and construction work in Washington, D.C., and a major transportation project in New York City.
“I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” OMB Director Russ Vought wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
It remains unclear whether the House and Senate will move quickly on the request, or whether lawmakers will take it up at all. The package could face resistance because votes on the funding may be viewed as a test of congressional support for the administration’s campaign against Iran.
The White House also included items likely to draw interest from lawmakers outside the defense debate. The package requests $1 billion for “the final design and construction of a modernized Penn Station in New York City,” a project of interest to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats.
The administration is seeking $67 billion for the War Department for what it described as urgent needs connected to the Iran conflict. That funding would cover military personnel, readiness costs, operational expenses and rebuilding weapons stocks.
Within the defense portion, $21 billion would go toward munitions. Another $17.3 billion would cover operational costs, while $12.1 billion would be directed to other classified programs. Additional defense funds would support fuel costs, drone manufacturing and cybersecurity.
The request also includes $11.1 billion in economic assistance for American farmers. Of that amount, $10 billion would support row and specialty crop farmers, while $1.1 billion would go to Florida agricultural producers who suffered losses from winter storms over the past year.
The White House is also requesting $1.4 billion for the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa and $500 million for ongoing restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, D.C.
The proposal includes several policy changes sought by the administration. Among them are revisions to federal rules governing hemp products, changes involving year-round sales of renewable fuels and the removal of restrictions on federal investment support in Venezuela.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the panel’s defense subcommittee, said the request reflects the need to preserve military capacity after the Iran operation.
“President Trump’s request reflects the reality that our defense strength must be maintained, not merely demonstrated,” Cole and Calvert said in a joint statement.
The supplemental package now moves to Congress, where lawmakers will decide whether to advance the administration’s request as debate continues over the cost, scope and future of the Iran conflict.
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