Republicans confront the massive cost of Trump’s Middle East war

The prospect of a ballooning new spending bill has GOP leaders bracing for a messy internal fight.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who is attuned to the views of fiscal hawks, said he expects "very serious conversations" about new Pentagon funding. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Republicans on Capitol Hill are preparing to confront a staggering price tag for the war in the Middle East after closed-door briefings this week detailed the rapid consumption of expensive munitions and the lack of any firm deadline for the end of the military campaign.

Asked how much the Iran offensive would cost, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) didn’t sugarcoat it.

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