In a closed-door briefing earlier this month, key Pentagon officials sat down with House spending leaders from both parties to make an urgent case to quickly deliver more cash to fund the US war in Iran.
But when pressed by members of both parties for details, Pentagon officials were unable to offer any meaningful specifics about why they need the money so quickly — frustrating Republicans and Democrats alike, according to two people in the room.
Now, with the Pentagon’s reserves further depleted, the administration is unfurling a full-court press on Republican lawmakers in hopes it can clinch tens of billions of dollars that officials are seeking this summer as the US continues its fight against Iran.
In the last week, the Pentagon invited dozens of House members for a marathon meeting that included face time with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Select members – including the head of the chamber’s powerful Appropriations Committee – have also been invited to Camp David and Vice President JD Vance trekked to the basement of the Capitol on Wednesday to sell the plan to GOP rank-and-file, arguing Republican unity is essential.
But several GOP members told CNN they still lack critical information about the military’s capacity and needs – and aren’t convinced by what they have heard. Even those Republicans who support the funding push fear that a fraught political gamble in the waning days of summer could lead to a legislative implosion just months before the midterm elections.
