U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Evelyn HochsteinReuter
The White House on Wednesday asked Congress for $87.6 billion in additional spending to cover a host of other costs, including the Iran war, aid to U.S. farmers and the fight against Ebola.
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought made the request in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“I urge Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” Vought wrote.
The request includes $21 billion for the Department of Defense to “support critical capabilities, munitions procurement, and strengthening America’s industrial base,” $1.4 billion for Ebola response, and $768 million for the Department of Energy for nuclear and other energy security.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in March that the Pentagon could request $200 billion to fund the war, which began on February 28.
The request could put vulnerable Republicans in a difficult position in the 2026 midterm elections in the months ahead if they are forced to vote for additional funding for an unpopular war. And the request was met with immediate opposition from Congressional Democrats. Congress would need to appropriate funds to meet the White House’s request.
“President Trump started a reckless and costly war with Iran without the authorization of Congress or the support of the American people. He never should have started it, and now, instead of doing anything to help families, he is asking taxpayers to pick up the slack and give billions more to wars overseas,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.
“And he wants more funding because the Pentagon already has a historic annual budget and more than $100 billion in unspent funds that Republicans provided in an ugly bill,” Murray said, referring to the 2025 Republican tax and spending package known as “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Vought’s letter also requests $10 billion for farmers who have suffered over the past year and a half due in part to President Trump’s trade policies, $500 million for renovation and construction projects in Washington, and $1 billion to renovate New York City’s Penn Station.
“Congress has a constitutional duty to provide for the common defense and must maintain a military with the means and capabilities necessary to protect the United States from all threats to the best of its ability,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) said in a joint statement Wednesday.
—Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.
