Additional money for Iran conflict faces challenges, GOP senators warn

Defense &National Security

Defense &National Security

Additional money for Iran conflict faces challenges, GOP senators warn

Republican senators are saying that any request from President Trump for tens of billions of dollars to pay for the Iran war will have a tough time passing the Senate.

GOP senators say additional funding likely won’t have the votes to pass unless Trump comes to Congress with a formal request for authorization, or at least a clear plan to end the war soon.

The big problem is that Trump seems to have no easy way of ending the war while Iran has a choke hold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil supplies travel.  

“I think the supplemental is in big trouble. I think that’s one of the reasons we haven’t seen a formal supplemental request. I think that’s going to be a very heavy lift,” said a Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on growing GOP skepticism about the war.

Three Republican senators on Wednesday voted to advance a Democratic-sponsored resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act directing Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran, even though Senate Republican leaders urged them to vote against the measure.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who previously voted against motions to advance a resolution directing Trump to end the conflict, shifted her stance and joined Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in voting with the Democrats to rein in Trump’s warmaking authority.

“We have now surpassed the 60-day limit for hostilities without congressional authorization, and the administration has asserted that hostilities have ended, despite the blockade and continued fire directed at members of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as our assets, allies, and partners. The administration’s own position removes any justification for keeping our servicemembers in harm’s way without congressional authorization,” Murkowski said in a statement explaining her vote.

Republican senators say that alarm over the protracted nature of the conflict and its impact on fuel prices is running more deeply in the Senate GOP conference than reflected by those three votes.

“Patience is........

© The Hill