White House Seeks $87.6B for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola
WASHINGTON — The White House has formally requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding from Congress, with the bulk of the money directed toward replenishing the Pentagon after the U.S.-led war against Iran, while also providing aid to struggling American farmers and funding an urgent Ebola response in Central Africa. The request, submitted by the Office of Management and Budget on June 24, arrives at a politically fraught moment as lawmakers in both parties have expressed opposition to the conflict and the Senate had just passed a war powers resolution challenging the president’s authority.
The Funding Breakdown
The largest portion of the request — $67 billion — is allocated to the Department of Defense for costs related to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran that began on February 28. According to AP News, the defense funding includes $21 billion for weapons and munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs, $12.1 billion for classified programs, $2.4 billion for drones, and $1.7 billion for readiness. An additional $768 million is earmarked for Energy Department nuclear and energy security programs.
Beyond defense, the package includes $11.1 billion in economic assistance for American farmers — $10 billion for row and specialty crop farmers and $1.1 billion specifically for Florida agriculture producers affected by winter storms. The request also allocates $1.4 billion for Ebola response in Central Africa, where an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 250 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with additional cases reported in Uganda.
A Politically Charged Request
The timing of the request is significant. It arrived just one day after the Senate passed a war powers resolution — with four Republican senators crossing party lines — calling on President Donald Trump to halt military activities or seek congressional approval. As The Guardian reported, the funding request comes amid a broader congressional logjam, with Trump refusing to sign a major bipartisan housing bill until the Senate passes the “Save America Act,” a voting restrictions measure.
OMB Director Russ Vought, in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, urged Congress to act quickly. “I urge the Congress to take action on these important and urgent requests as soon as possible,” Vought wrote.
Bipartisan Opposition
Democratic leaders were quick to condemn the request. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “President Trump is asking taxpayers to clean up his messes, to the tune of $87.6 billion. After dragging America into a reckless war, he now wants Congress to hand him tens of billions more to paper over the damage — while families are still paying higher prices.”
Sen. Patty Murray, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she would “not rubberstamp tens of billions more for this disastrous war of choice,” noting that the Pentagon currently has over $100 billion in unspent funds.
Even within Trump’s own party, dissent is growing. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted for the war powers resolution, confronted Trump during a private Senate lunch, saying, “You have not told the American people what’s going on. This was supposed to last four weeks. It’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”
The War’s Mounting Costs
Operation Epic Fury, launched without prior congressional authorization, has been deeply controversial. According to Stars and Stripes, the Pentagon comptroller reported $29 billion in cumulative costs as of May 12, though independent trackers estimate the figure has reached approximately $35.27 billion as of June 25. A fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan has been in place since April 8, with standby costs estimated at roughly $95 million per day.
The White House is also seeking $1.5 trillion in total defense spending for the year — a nearly 50% increase over previous levels — as part of its regular budget process.
The Ebola Crisis
The $1.4 billion Ebola funding request matches what Africa CDC officials say is now urgently needed to contain the outbreak. As Forbes reported, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that the funding need has tripled from an initial $518 million estimate. “If we don’t have this $1.4 billion, and if we don’t resolve the humanitarian issue, we will not stop this outbreak,” Kaseya told reporters.
The Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine, has proven particularly challenging to contain. The outbreak has been complicated by armed conflict in the region, attacks on treatment centers, and public distrust.
What’s Next
The funding faces an uncertain path through Congress. The House Republican leadership canceled votes planned for June 26, and the Senate has adjourned until July 13. Many lawmakers view any vote on the supplemental as a referendum on the war itself, making the politics particularly treacherous as the November 2026 midterm elections loom.
The White House structured the request to appeal to a broad coalition — defense hawks, farm-state lawmakers, the New York and Florida delegations, and public health advocates — but the toxic politics of the Iran war may override these incentives. Whether Congress will act before the midterms, or whether the request becomes a campaign issue, remains an open question.
As lawmakers weigh their options, the clock is ticking on multiple fronts: the fragile Iran ceasefire, farmers facing economic strain, and an Ebola outbreak that health officials warn could spiral out of control without immediate funding.