'Not another dime': Justin Amash urges Congress to reject Iran war funding
After nearly four months of fighting and a blockade that threatened global recession, the world finally thought the war in Iran was over when Washington and Tehran reached an interim agreement to advance peace talks. However, tensions renewed after the two sides traded strikes over the last week, and lawmakers can only wonder if the Pentagon, which is allegedly running out of money, is under pressure. After the Department of Defense made an $80 billion request to fund the war expenses, lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are divided, with former Republican Rep. Justin Amash urging Congress not to approve a single dime for what he called "insane war."
Last month, the Pentagon informed senators it needs roughly $80 billion, mostly to cover the cost of the war, in addition to the sizable military spending boost sought by President Donald Trump. This came weeks after a warning that the military could potentially run out of money if Congress delays the passage of a new spending bill. As per Moody's Analytics, the Pentagon had initially projected the cost of the war at $25 billion, but it has now ballooned to an estimated $132 billion, Fortune reported.
Taking to X, Amash slammed the budget requests, urging Congress not to approve a dime. "Congress shouldn't give the president another dime for his insane, unauthorized war that he said would last just four weeks and that we've supposedly won 40 times," he wrote on X.
Congress shouldn’t give the president another dime for his insane, unauthorized war that he said would last just four weeks and that we’ve supposedly won 40 times.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) July 9, 2026
In an exclusive report, NBC News spoke to a former Pentagon official who claimed that the Defense Department's weapons systems have been depleted and the U.S. may need to start "parking jets and turning off exercises" if the spending measures aren't approved. Meanwhile, Trump has already proposed a mammoth defense funding bill of $1.5 trillion on top of the $150 billion already authorized by the "Big Beautiful Bill" in July of last year. Furthermore, the DOD alone is asking for $67 billion in emergency supplemental funding from Congress.
These requests have put Congressional Republicans in a tough spot, as they face reelection bids in the upcoming midterm elections, and approving requests in favor of an unpopular war could damage their prospect. Meanwhile, the war seems to have no end despite the interim agreement, as the two sides exchanged intensive strikes threatening the ongoing peace talks.
On Wednesday, the American military executed around 90 targets in airstrikes across Iran. Trump said he considered the shaky ceasefire between the two countries to be over following Tehran's attacks on cargo ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Following the airstrikes, Tehran retaliated with attacks on U.S. allies across the Middle East that sparked alerts across Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, as per CBS News. The renewed fighting has now cast doubt on whether the two sides remain committed to reaching a final deal to end the war or if the hostilities will resume.
