Washington, July 22: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated on Tuesday that the war with Iran has cost USD 37.5 billion so far, as he defended the Trump administration's request for a USD 95 billion supplemental funding package during a heated Senate Appropriations Committee hearing marked by sharp exchanges and repeated protests.
The revised estimate is higher than earlier assessments and comes as the Pentagon confirmed that three more American service members have died in the conflict, taking the death toll to 17, while more than 100 have been injured since early July.
Hegseth described the proposed funding as an “urgent, necessary” boost alongside President Donald Trump's proposed USD 1.5 trillion defence budget.
“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls,” Hegseth testified, the Associated Press reported.
Democrats Question War Spending
Democrats challenged both the administration's handling of the conflict and the additional funding request. Senator Patty Murray warned of "another forever war."
“This war is now spiralling out of control again,” Murray said.
Referring to Trump's repeated assurances that the conflict would soon end, she added: “A deal is near, and the war will be over soon,” before questioning the latest request. “But now, he's asking for USD 70 billion more — and for us to just trust him it'll all work out fine.”
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also appeared before the panel. The proposed package allocates USD 60 billion for the military, USD 12 billion for other national security needs, USD 10 billion for farm aid and USD 10 billion for voting law changes.
Republicans Back Funding
Ahead of the hearing, the White House urged lawmakers to pass the budget resolution “without modification — immediately.”
The war funding forms the largest part of the Republican proposal, which also includes support for farmers affected by Trump's tariffs and election-related measures. The package is not offset by spending cuts.
Despite opinion polls showing continued public disapproval of Trump's handling of Iran, rising fuel prices, pressure on US military stockpiles and concerns over an extended conflict, Republicans have largely continued to support the President's strategy.
“The commander in chief and the whole Department of War are working very hard to bring this to a resolution,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Senators Press Pentagon Chief
The hearing also focused on Hegseth's leadership of the Pentagon. Republican Senator Susan Collins criticised the department for blocking or denying promotions to several officers, particularly women and minorities.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen questioned why the Pentagon was seeking more funding when about half of the USD 150 billion approved in last year's defence package remained unspent.
“Why are you asking the American people to absorb the cost of a war they don't support?” Shaheen asked.
Hegseth replied that the remaining funds would be spent by September. Later, when Republican Senator Mike Rounds asked whether the latest request would be sufficient to complete the mission, Caine said: “I can't answer the question on what it will cost, because the enemy has a vote.”
Republican Senator John Kennedy also sought clarity on the security of the Strait of Hormuz. After Caine said, “That's a hypothetical question, and I don't know the answer to that,” Kennedy responded: “Guys, we need straight answers.”
Heated Exchanges Mark Hearing
Tensions escalated during the final stages of the more than three-hour hearing. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand challenged Hegseth over the administration's claims about Iran's nuclear programme.
“Has the US obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities or not?” she asked.
“We're staying laser-focused on the objective,” Hegseth responded. “And you're trying to make campaign commercials.”
Senator Jon Ossoff questioned Hegseth's earlier assessments of the war, while Senator Gary Peters described the administration's strategy as a complete "failure."
“Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure,” Hegseth said.
Peters replied: “You, sir, are the failure.”
“You don't have a strategy,” Peters said. “You don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war.”
Hegseth responded that Democrats have “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and would not provide the funding he requested. Peters countered that the issue was “but a question of leadership.”
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Meanwhile, Republicans are pushing the budget package through the reconciliation process, allowing it to pass without Democratic support. The proposal is expected to be taken up in the House this week, although some conservative Republicans want the spending offset through cuts elsewhere. GOP senators remain cautious and are waiting to see whether Johnson can advance the legislation.
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