Hegseth asks Congress for billions to fund Iran war

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters Tuesday as he made the case to lawmakers for billions of dollars in additional funding to cover the cost of the Iran war.

"We live in a dangerous world that requires bold and swift action. Hence, this supplemental request for fiscal year 2026," he told the Senate Appropriations Committee. "This request is an urgent, necessary injection of resources to address the immediate needs of our department."

Last month, the Trump administration submitted an $88 billion supplemental funding request to Congress, the bulk of which would go toward covering the cost of the Iran war. The conflict began in late February and has recently returned to the brink of all-out war following the collapse of the ceasefire deal.

Of that request, $67 billion would go to the Pentagon, including $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs and $12.1 billion for classified programs.

The package also includes $11.1 billion for farm aid and $1.4 billion to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

Protesters repeatedly interrupted Secretary Hegseth's opening statement, prompting Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) to ask him to pause while Capitol Police removed the demonstrators from the hearing room.

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