Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, declined to give senators an estimate of the cost of the military operations against Iran when pressed on the issue during a hearing Thursday. Vought said the White House is working on a request for additional defense funding but declined to offer an… Source link
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Vought faced harsh criticism over Iran War spending increases from a slew of Democratic lawmakers in the House on Wednesday. As the costs of the Iran War continue to rise, Vought faced an onslaught of questions about the Trump administration’s budgetary decisions. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., asked Vought if fighting “a war of choice” with Iran was more important than “economic development” in the U.S., including social welfare and education programs. Coleman chided Vought for being a part of a “narrative” around the war that “has nothing to do with reality.” “It’s not a war of choice,” Vought insisted. “It’s a security objective.” Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., pressed Vought on the “shocking surge of Pentagon spending” requested by the administration. “We have never seen funding like this,” Balint said, asking Vought if the asked-for $350 billion would “lower costs for Americans” while noting that the amount could fund the Affordable Care Act subsidies for a decade. Vought responded by praising Trump for having “led on …
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought testifies before the House Budget Committee at the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2026. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told lawmakers he could not estimate the total cost of the Iran war and that the Trump administration hadn’t yet come up with a supplemental funding request to send to Congress. “We’re not ready to come to you with a request; we’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed in this fiscal year versus next fiscal year,” Vought told members of the House Budget Committee on Wednesday. “Do you have a ballpark? Will it be more than $50 billion?” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, asked. “I don’t have a ballpark for you, congresswoman,” Vought said. Professor Linda Bilmes, a public policy professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, published an analysis this month that found the war could cost taxpayers $1 trillion. Read more CNBC politics coverage Choose CNBC as your preferred source …
