GOP want more answers before signing off on Iran funding

Republicans who are waiting on a funding request for the Iran military conflict say they want clearer answers from the Pentagon on the scope, objectives and price tag of the operation before rallying behind such a measure in a difficult election year.

The military campaign, now past its 100-day mark, had cost roughly $29 billion as of early May, according to Pentagon officials, with that figure rising daily as President Trump intensifies pressure on Tehran to either reach a peace agreement or face continued military action.

While Republicans rallied behind Trump in the early days of the conflict — and many have maintained that support — backing for a supplemental package is far from automatic as GOP lawmakers demand greater clarity on the administration’s long-term strategy before signing off on what could become another open-ended military commitment that threatens to hurt Republicans in the midterms.

“I think that the way that Congress can exercise influence in this, in bringing this conflict to an end on acceptable terms, is through the appropriations process. And so, I’ve said from the beginning, Congress needs to be more centrally involved here. I think we should have been more involved than we have been so far,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), an independent who caucuses with Republicans, told The Hill.

“I want to know what the strategy is, and then I think Congress needs to put its own, you know, fingerprints or its own strategic, you know, objectives in the legislation as well. We need to have broad buy-in on a strategy for ending this conflict. Otherwise, any resolution is going to be harder to reach and harder to actually cause it to stick,” Kiley said.

The Pentagon had initially signaled it would need a $200 billion supplemental package, before the Trump administration decided to scale back that figure amid bipartisan pushback, according to The Washington Post.  

The most recent figure the White House is reportedly expected to ask for is between $80 billion and $100 billion, with a large chunk meant to backfill depleted munitions used in the fighting, The Washington Post reported. 

But the White House has not formally sent a request to Congress, leaving........

© The Hill