In their final week before a long summer recess, House Republicans approved a $95 billion budget blueprint aimed at supporting the ongoing conflict with Iran. Chief Republican budget writer Jodey Arrington described the funds as for “just baseline battlefield readiness,” including “bullets and bombs to finish the job and come home safely and victoriously,” as well as efforts to strengthen the food supply and safeguard election integrity.

The approval came along party lines under Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership, who told reporters, “We just proved you wrong,” signaling confidence despite recent setbacks. The House GOP also passed a super-sized military budget and pursued new nationwide voting restrictions.

However, divisions within the Republican majority surfaced when four dissident Republicans joined Democrats to pass a symbolic war powers resolution mandating the withdrawal of troops from combat against Iran. Senior Republicans showed little enthusiasm for advancing a third such bill.

The budget faces additional hurdles in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune indicated he would put the measure on hold to use as leverage in negotiations to continue government funding beyond its 30 September expiration. Democrats have objected to the overall $1.15 trillion defense budget cost and recently halted the Senate bill’s advancement in protest of renewed hostilities with Iran.

Despite these challenges, Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, expressed optimism: “We passed some really good policies that are actually working, and so we got a great story to tell to the voters.”

The legislative moves come as Republicans prepare for November’s midterm elections amid inflation concerns, a Democratic resurgence, and low approval ratings for both the war with Iran and Donald Trump’s presidency.

Sources