President Trump’s request for $70 billion to fund ongoing military operations against Iran is running into resistance from an unlikely source: his own party.
Four Republican senators joined Democrats in voting for a war powers resolution that would require the withdrawal of US forces unless Congress explicitly authorizes further military action. The bipartisan rebuke signals that the political consensus around “Operation Epic Fury” is fraying, barely four months after US strikes against Iran began in late February 2026.
The price tag keeps climbing
The $70 billion earmarked for Pentagon operational costs is part of a larger $87.6 billion supplemental funding package the White House submitted to Congress on June 24. To put that in perspective, $70 billion is roughly what the entire Department of Education spends in a year.
Congressional critics from both parties have zeroed in on two issues: the sheer cost and the lack of prior congressional authorization for the military campaign.
