GOP Lawmakers Question Cost and Strategy Behind $200 Billion Pentagon Request

By Jack Hunter | Responsible Statecraft

The Pentagon is asking Congress for another $200 billion for the war on Iran, which is almost a quarter of the annual U.S. defense budget.

Democrats are largely, and predictably, against it.

But what about Republicans? While many say they support the president’s war (and they certainly do not want to allow a vote on it), Republicans in varying degrees embraced the mantle of fiscal conservatism. This supplemental request would be in addition to the more than a trillion approved late last year, including a $150 billion add-on, money that the Pentagon is still struggling to spend?

Honestly for the Freedom Caucus types who have demanded holding the line on deficit spending, this should be a no-brainer, even more so for those who remain unclear as to why the president is waging this war — without Congressional approval — in the first place.

Like deficit hawk Rep. Thomas Massie (R-K.Y.), who has criticized the supplemental (as well as the war), telling CNN, “It begs the question, how long do they plan to be there? What are the goals? Is this the first $200 billion? Does this turn into a trillion?”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Col.) also wasn’t having it, telling reporters, “I am so tired of spending money elsewhere. I’m tired of the Industrial War Complex getting our hard-earned tax dollars. I’ve got folks in Colorado who can’t afford to live. We need America First policies right now.”

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