US House passes Republican-only $95 billion Iran war budget plan

The US House passed a Republican-only $95 billion budget plan to fund the war in Iran and other Trump priorities. It now faces Senate resistance, exposing divisions over war powers, spending and voting rules.

In Short

• Conservatives objected because the package lacked spending cuts to balance costs
• The proposal sets aside funds for farmers hit by Trump tariffs
• It also links voting changes to citizenship proof under SAVE America

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a Republican-only USD 95 billion budget proposal aimed at funding the war in Iran and other White House priorities, pushing ahead despite opposition from Democrats and unease within the Republican Party. The measure was approved 216-214, with all Democrats voting against it, in what Speaker Mike Johnson sees as the best route to move President Donald Trump's agenda through a divided Congress.

The proposal faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where Republicans are also split and Majority Leader John Thune has not committed to backing it. The debate comes as Congress remains deadlocked over the US war against Iran, with lawmakers unable to stop Trump's military strikes, but also not having authorised the use of American force, while being asked to provide billions of dollars to pay for it.

House Republicans were divided over the plan, with conservatives objecting to the lack of spending cuts to offset the cost. Even so, Johnson pressed ahead. The package includes USD 60 billion for the Pentagon, USD 13 billion for other national security needs, USD 12 billion for farmers affected by Trump's tariffs, and USD 10 billion for voting law changes linked to the SAVE America Act and proof of citizenship requirements, which Trump has made a top priority.

"Just bullets and bombs to finish the job," said Rep Jodey Arrington, Republican of Texas and chairman of the Budget Committee. Democrats said the money should be spent on domestic priorities, especially reducing costs for Americans. "Republicans plan to spend tens of billions of dollars on Trump's failed war in Iran," said Rep Pete Aguilar of California, chairman of the House Democratic caucus, this week. "Think about what we could spend with these resources instead."

The budget fight is taking place as Trump attended the dignified transfer of four service members killed in the Middle East, bringing the military death toll to 18. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators at a heated hearing this week that the Pentagon is running short of money despite receiving a one-time USD 150 billion allocation in last year's major budget law. A recent AP-NORC poll found that most Americans disapprove of Trump's Iran strategy.

Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process, which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority and avoids a Senate filibuster. Once used rarely, it has become Johnson's preferred method in a split Congress. Republicans used it to pass Trump's tax cuts and spending cuts bill last summer and to fund Homeland Security earlier this year after Democrats refused to support Trump's mass deportation agenda. "No matter how you feel about current events, these funds are necessary to ensure our fighting forces remain ready, our troops are paid and our nation is safe," said Rep Mike Rogers of Alabama, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

Democrats strongly criticised the move. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "Republicans have literally ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans to sustain the Trump war machine." Among those voting against the proposal was Rep Kevin Kiley of California, described in the report as a former Republican turned independent. He said any war funding bill should be bipartisan and that Congress should have a "much higher level of involvement" in ending the war, adding that this proposal did not start that process.

This is the third time Republican leaders have turned to reconciliation, calling this version 3.0. If the House measure moves ahead, it would go to the Senate for a marathon session on politically difficult amendments, something many senators would prefer to avoid in an election year. The resolution gives committees instructions to draft the detailed legislation, which Johnson hopes can be completed this summer, with final votes after lawmakers return from the August recess.

In the Senate, Thune has kept his distance from the House package, as some Republican senators want more military funding while others want the cost matched by cuts elsewhere. "We'll see," Thune said this week. For now, he is focused on avoiding a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution before Congress leaves for the summer. If that fails, he said he could keep the House budget resolution and possibly use it later in the year. "It's a possibility that, if necessary, we could pull that budget resolution passed by the House and use it to fund government," Thune said. "I hope that's not necessary."

Thune has also clashed with Trump over the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voting and does not have enough support among Senate Republicans to pass. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and experts have warned that the proposed rules could make it harder for eligible Americans to vote. Estimates say about 9 per cent of US citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not readily have proof of citizenship, while nearly half of Americans do not have a US passport. Overall, the House vote has advanced Johnson's plan, but with resistance in both parties and uncertainty in the Senate, the future of the package remains unclear.

With PTI Inputs

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