House Republicans Push $95 Billion Package for Iran War and Trump Priorities/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ House Republicans are trying to advance a $95 billion budget plan covering the Iran war, national security, farm assistance and voting-law changes. GOP conservatives have objected because the proposal does not include spending cuts to offset its cost, while Democrats oppose allocating billions more to the war. Even if the resolution passes the House, it faces an uncertain future in the divided Senate.
Quick Look
- Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing the $95 billion proposal through the House.
- The plan includes $60 billion for the Pentagon.
- An additional $13 billion would fund other national security needs.
- Farmers affected by Trump’s tariffs would receive $12 billion.
- Voting-law changes would receive $10 billion.
- The package does not include offsetting spending reductions.
- Republicans plan to use budget reconciliation to bypass a Senate filibuster.
- The U.S. military death toll from the Iran war has reached 18.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon is running short of money.
- Senate Republicans are divided over the plan’s cost and provisions.
- Proof-of-citizenship voting requirements lack sufficient support in the Senate.
Deep Look
Johnson Pushes $95 Billion Republican Budget Plan
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson is attempting to advance a $95 billion Republican budget resolution intended to fund the Iran war and several of President Donald Trump’s domestic priorities.
Republican leaders are moving forward despite divisions within their party and strong opposition from Democrats.
Some GOP conservatives object to the absence of budget cuts or other measures to offset the plan’s cost. Leadership nevertheless considers a party-line process the best available route for moving Trump’s agenda through a divided Congress.
“Just bullets and bombs to finish the job,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington of Texas.
Package Directs $73 Billion to Security
The proposed package allocates:
- $60 billion to the Pentagon
- $13 billion for other national security programs
- $12 billion in assistance for farmers affected by Trump’s tariffs
- $10 billion for changes to federal voting laws
The voting provisions would align with Trump’s proposed SAVE America Act and its proof-of-citizenship requirements.
The package’s four components total $95 billion.
Democrats Say Money Should Be Spent at Home
Democrats argue that Congress should direct the money toward reducing household expenses and supporting domestic programs.
“Republicans plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on Trump’s failed war in Iran,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California. “Think about what we could spend with these resources instead.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the proposal.
“Republicans have literally ripped. food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans to sustain the Trump war machine,” Jeffries said.
Congress Has Not Authorized Iran War
Congress remains deadlocked over the conflict with Iran.
Lawmakers have neither authorized the use of American military force nor succeeded in stopping Trump’s strikes. They must now decide whether to provide billions of dollars to sustain military operations.
The budget debate unfolded as Trump attended the dignified transfer of four service members killed in the Middle East. Their deaths raised the American military toll from the war to 18.
Hegseth Says Pentagon Needs More Money
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators this week that the Pentagon was running short of money.
The warning came despite the military receiving a one-time allocation of $150 billion through the previous year’s major budget legislation.
Republican supporters of the new package argue that additional funding is necessary to pay troops, replenish resources and maintain military readiness.
“No matter how you feel about current events, these funds are necessary to ensure our fighting forces remain ready, our troops are paid and our nation is safe,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama.
Republicans Turn Again to Reconciliation
Republican leaders plan to use budget reconciliation to move the proposal through Congress.
Reconciliation allows legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding the 60 votes generally needed to overcome a filibuster.
Although the procedure was once used infrequently, Johnson has made it a central part of the House Republican strategy in a divided Congress.
Republicans used reconciliation to approve Trump’s tax reductions and spending cuts in 2025. They used it again in 2026 to fund the Department of Homeland Security over Democratic objections to the administration’s mass-deportation policies.
GOP leaders are calling the new effort “reconciliation 3.0.”
Resolution Is Only the First Step
Approval of the budget resolution would not immediately authorize the full $95 billion in spending.
Instead, the measure would instruct congressional committees to write the legislation needed to implement the package.
Johnson hopes the committees can complete that work during the summer, allowing Congress to hold final votes after lawmakers return from the August recess.
The Senate would first have to conduct a lengthy session in which senators can offer numerous politically sensitive amendments—an exercise many would prefer to avoid shortly before the midterm elections.
Senate Republicans Express Doubts
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has not committed to supporting the House proposal.
“We’ll see,” Thune said.
Republican senators have raised competing concerns. Some want the package to provide more military funding, while others insist that the new spending should be balanced by reductions elsewhere in the federal budget.
The disagreements create uncertainty even if Johnson can secure enough votes to pass the resolution in the House.
Shutdown Prevention Is Thune’s Priority
Thune is currently focused on preventing another federal government shutdown.
He wants the Senate to approve a temporary spending measure, known as a continuing resolution, before lawmakers leave Washington for the summer.
Current government funding expires Sept. 30.
If senators cannot reach an agreement, Thune said the House budget resolution could potentially be repurposed later in the year as a vehicle for keeping the government open.
“It’s a possibility that, if necessary, we could pull that budget resolution passed by the House and use it to fund government,” Thune said. “I hope that’s not necessary.”
Citizenship Requirement Faces Senate Resistance
Trump’s proposed SAVE America Act would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal contests.
Election experts warn that new documentation rules could make registration more difficult for eligible American citizens who lack immediate access to qualifying documents.
An estimated 9% of voting-age citizens, or approximately 21.3 million people, do not have proof of citizenship readily available. Nearly half of Americans do not possess a U.S. passport.
Thune has clashed with Trump over the proposal, which does not currently have enough support among Senate Republicans to pass.
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