President Donald Trump may soon receive additional funding for the ongoing conflict in Iran as House Republicans introduced a budget reconciliation bill on Wednesday, July 16th, 2026. The bill directs the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Department of Defense (DOD), to submit legal changes increasing the deficit by up to $60 billion. This funding is intended to replenish the Pentagon's depleted accounts and support the administration's military campaign in Iran.

The $60 billion figure aligns closely with the administration's recent $67 billion request for the DOD, made in June by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Earlier in the year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested $200 billion in March, followed by a $1.5 trillion request in April as part of the FY 2027 budget.

Despite these large sums, the Pentagon remains the only major federal agency that has never passed an audit, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). During a May hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Jules Hurst, the assistant secretary for the Army and former Pentagon comptroller, told lawmakers the war in Iran had cost about $29 billion. However, CBS News reported a month earlier that U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments estimated the cost at approximately $50 billion.

Hurst described the $1.5 trillion requested in 2026 as a "one-time plus-up for catch-up," even though the department plans to request $1.23 trillion next year. The GAO has highlighted long-standing financial management problems within the Pentagon, including issues with programs like the F-35 fighter plane, which has faced spiraling costs and critical deficiencies since its inception.

This proposed funding increase comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the Pentagon's financial transparency and accountability.

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