Hegseth reveals how much the Iran war has cost so far
Hegseth interrupted by anti-Iran war protesters
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was interrupted by several protesters at the Senate Appropriations hearing. Hegseth is requesting more funding for the Iran war.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided a new estimate for the cost of war against Iran this week as Republicans prepare another $95 billion for the military and Democrats say the five-month conflict is "spiraling out of control."
Hegseth gave an update during a fiery Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday.
How much has the Iran war cost so far?
By the numbers:
Hegseth said the Iran war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion so far. He’s asking Congress for an additional $95 billion in supplemental funding, along with the White House’s request for a $1.5 trillion defense budget.
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The proposed budget package includes $60 billion and $12 billion for other national security needs, along with $10 billion for farm aid and $10 billion for voting law changes.
What they're saying:
In a statement released before the hearing, the White House urged support of the budget resolution, "without modification — immediately."
"Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls," Hegseth testified.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. Members of the Trump administration appeared before the committee
The other side:
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the committee, called it "another forever war."
"This war is now spiraling out of control again," Murray said.
President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that "a deal is near, and the war will be over soon," she said. "But now, he’s asking for $70 billion more — and for us to just trust him it’ll all work out fine."
Hegseth erupted after Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said the administration’s war strategy has been a complete "failure."
"Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure," Hegseth said.
"You, sir, are the failure," Peters snapped back.
"You don’t have a strategy," Peters said. "You don’t have a long-term plan to actually win this war."
Most Americans disapprove of Iran war
Dig deeper:
Most Americans continue to disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran, according to an AP-NORC poll. A recent poll by Gallup found that only 34% of Americans said they approved of the military action being taken in Iran.
Still, Trump shows no signs of ending the war anytime soon.
What's next:
The GOP is expected to pass the defense budget using the reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to bypass Democrats who object.
The proposal is headed toward a House vote this week, which would start the process by instructing various committees to begin drafting the legislation. House Speaker Mike Johnson can afford only a few defectors from his slim majority, and some conservatives want the funding offset with spending reductions elsewhere.
GOP senators have so far panned the House budget plan, but are waiting to see if Johnson can kickstart the process.
The Source: This article includes information from The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting.