The Trump administration said that it needs $200 billion from Congress for the Iran war because "it takes money to kill bad guys."
The comment was made by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a press briefing Thursday. The request comes as the war launched on February 28 continues to drag on and shows few signs of abating.
President Trump launched the military campaign without congressional authority. Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress can declare war. Now that the U.S. is embroiled in the conflict, the administration is planning to ask Congress to provide funding.
"It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said at a press briefing. "We're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded."
Democrats reacted skeptically to the request.
"At the height of combat the Iraq War cost around $140 Billion per year. If the Pentagon is asking for $200 billion they are asking for a long war. The answer is a simple no," Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona wrote on X.
"$200 BILLION for a war of choice that Americans don't want and that isn't making us safer. This should be an absolute nonstarter," Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, wrote on Facebook. "The best way to end this war, protect our troops, save civilian lives, & rein in a lawless Administration is to cut off funding. I'm a hell no."
The U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran without coordinating with other U.S. allies. The attack was launched just two days after negotiations in Geneva between Iran and the U.S. regarding Iran's nuclear program ended. The initial attack decimated Iranian leadership.
Iran retaliated by attacking oil and gas infrastructure throughout the region and closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil supply travels.
After these complications, Trump went to the allies he had largely ignored in launching the conflict and asked them for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Hill. The website reported that the response of U.S. allies ranged from tepid to outright refusal.
Trump later said, "We don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world."
