Democrats demand Iran war cost accounting; Warren leads five-release day

Warren, Merkley, Schumer, and Kelly were among more than 20 Senate Democrats urging CBO to produce an independent cost estimate for the war in Iran, arguing the Trump administration has offered figures that "did not fully account for damaged or destroyed equipment or U.S. military installations damaged."

The Kelly release puts specific numbers on the discrepancy: independent analysts cited in the letter estimate the war's cost at "$40-50 billion when accounting for the costs of rebuilding U.S. military installations and replacing destroyed assets," with some analysts reaching as high as "$72 billion in just the first 60 days" when munitions, equipment losses, and military aid are included. Even Trump's former Pentagon deputy comptroller Elaine McCusker estimated the cost at $35 billion at the time of the April 7 ceasefire, per the Kelly release.

The letter also flags what the senators call a looming budget question: the Trump administration "intends to request as much as $200 billion in additional funding for the war in Iran — in addition to its unprecedented $1.5 trillion defense budget request," according to the Kelly release. "[CBO's] timely and comprehensive estimate of the immediate and long-term budgetary consequences will help ensure that the Iran war remains subject to rigorous and appropriate legislative oversight," the senators concluded.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., joined a bipartisan group — including Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. — in demanding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth release stalled Fiscal Year 2026 security assistance for Ukraine and the Baltic Security Initiative.

"Ukraine has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support," the senators wrote. "The $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine that was included in the FY26 defense appropriations bill should be disbursed immediately."

The letter also presses for $200 million in Baltic Security Initiative funds, arguing that "a Russian testing of NATO might very well start in the Baltics." The senators warned: "Any further delays — particularly as the Department reportedly plans troubling U.S. troops withdrawals from the region — risks our ability to adequately deter Russia."

Beyond the Iran war letter, Warren posted three additional oversight releases Thursday — a pace that stands out even accounting for the holiday-week recess calendar.

The Government Accountability Office confirmed it is expanding its investigation into the Education Department's transfer of programs to other agencies — including moving student loan default collections to the Treasury Department — following a Warren request. "The Trump administration is hurting students, families, and teachers by ripping important programs out of the Education Department and shipping them off to agencies with no expertise," Warren said in the release.

A separate Warren release disclosed that U.S. Transportation Command told the senator it "did not receive a tasking to move American civilians (non-U.S. government personnel)" during evacuations from the Middle East — which the release characterizes as evidence the State Department failed to deploy available military assets. Warren also sent a letter to ICE Acting Director-Designate David Venturella, pressing him on what she called "a continuous, decades-long trip in and out of the revolving door between ICE and the private prison industry." "Americans should not have to wonder whether ICE enforcement priorities are being driven by the financial interests of politically connected detention contractors," she wrote.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., demanded Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche preserve records related to what they describe as a sweetheart settlement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service and a related $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded fund.

"This sweetheart deal from the Trump IRS and the Trump DOJ attempts to give President Trump and the Trump family business a magical free pass on tax violations and set up a slush fund for cop-beaters and MAGA criminals," Whitehouse said. The senators' letter details their concern that the fund would allow January 6 participants — including, per the release, "nearly 175 January 6 rioters who used a dangerous or deadly weapon to assault law enforcement officers" — to seek compensation from the fund.

The letter also flags an addendum announced one day after the original settlement, which the senators say "purports to grant President Trump and a wide swath of associates and related companies immunity from any" further IRS audit action on previous tax offenses.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced Thursday that she and 16 Senate Democratic colleagues are launching a formal initiative to develop policy on long-term care, framing it as a response to what the release describes as Republican-driven Medicaid cuts and the repeal of nursing home staffing standards.

"New York families are confronting a long-term care crisis that threatens their savings, their peace of mind, and their health," Gillibrand said. "While Republicans roll back vital nursing home staffing standards and slash hundreds of billions from Medicaid, Senate Democrats are fighting back."

The initiative, timed to coincide with Affordable Housing Month's conclusion, sets three policy goals: expanding home care access and affordability, improving nursing home quality, and building the long-term care workforce. The release cites AARP data showing the median annual cost of a private nursing home room in New York at $186,698 — more than three times the median annual income for New Yorkers 65 and older.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., led 13 Democratic senators in a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner accusing the department of deliberately abandoning its Fair Housing Act enforcement obligations.

"It is our assessment that HUD is purposefully eroding its obligation to enforce the Fair Housing Act and inhibiting others' ability to do so, thereby undermining the landmark legislation's critical role in creating safe, decent, and affordable housing opportunities free of discrimination for millions of Americans," the senators wrote. The letter cites National Fair Housing Alliance data showing 32,123 discrimination complaints filed as of 2024 — described as a record high — and alleges HUD has refused to investigate discrimination cases, rolled back anti-bias appraisal policies, and hollowed out its Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., used a Thursday release to resurface legislation he introduced earlier this month requiring large data centers to pay for their own power and grid upgrade costs. The Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act would apply to data centers over 50 megawatts and would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to update transmission rules to allow data centers to curtail demand during peak grid stress periods.

"Artificial intelligence is already deeply impacting our society, economy, and national security, and it is critical that we maintain our international leadership — however that growth cannot come at the cost of consumers or society," Schiff said. The release notes the bill currently has no Republican co-sponsors, though Schiff's office described ongoing conversations with other lawmakers.

Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., announced two separate federal airport grants Thursday totaling $38 million — $10 million for Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and $28 million for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — both drawn from the FAA's Airport Terminal Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"Georgia's airports are a key driver of job creation and economic competitiveness," Ossoff said in both releases. The Savannah funds target renovation of baggage claim, the ticket lobby, and Savannah Square. The Atlanta funds will replace the centralized air system in Concourses B and E at Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport by passenger volume.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., completed two stops of his annual Hurricane Preparedness Tour Thursday — Titusville and Ponte Vedra Beach — logging three total releases on the day, including a Spanish-language version of the Titusville stop. "You can rebuild homes, but you can't rebuild your life," Scott said at both stops, urging Floridians to follow evacuation orders and maintain seven days of food, water, and medicines.

Separately, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., recapped Tuesday visits to manufacturers and small businesses in Hutchinson, McPherson, and Salina, Kansas — including an Arconic aluminum facility, Wald Family Foods, and Watts Manufacturing. The release notes discussions of "provisions passed in the Working Families Tax Cuts and the need to maintain affordable energy prices."

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging him to reject a May 13 request from House Democrats — led by Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — to suspend joint U.S.-Ecuador operations targeting drug cartels.

"Their call to suspend U.S.-Ecuador joint operations suggests a dangerous misunderstanding of South America's narco-terrorism crisis, of the dedication and commitment made by U.S. Special Forces, and possibly a willingness to undermine America's national security in exchange for attention," Moreno wrote. Moreno cited his personal background: "I was born in Colombia, where I had a front-row seat to the destruction that narco-terrorist organizations inflict on the families and communities in the entire region."

Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., issued a statement criticizing a reported Trump administration push to create a $250 bill bearing the president's portrait — which Warner called "an unprecedented move that would place a living person on U.S. currency for the first time in more than 150 years."

"If this White House put even half as much energy into working to lower costs as it does into stoking the president's ego, American families wouldn't need that new $250 bill just to fill up their gas tanks," Warner said.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released a video Thursday reflecting on more than 600 county-by-county town halls held across Oregon's 36 counties. "I hold town halls in each county in Oregon every year because it's so important for someone who represents the state to actually listen to people in every corner of the state," Merkley says in the video.

Merkley attributes 560 community-initiated projects totaling over $845 million in federal investments to the constituent listening process. The release also promotes what Merkley calls the "Oregon Way" — a norm of respectful disagreement at public forums that he contrasts with what he describes as a national decline in member town halls.

Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., attended the Annual GameChanger Dinner in Lewisburg, where the opioid prevention program was named Advocate of the Year by CADCA. "It has been an absolute blessing to be with GameChanger right from the very start," Justice said. "I'm going to keep working my absolute hardest for these children until my very last breath."

GameChanger — a student-led substance misuse prevention program Justice launched as governor in 2020 — received CADCA's Major General Arthur T. Dean Humanitarian Award at the event.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., toured the Central California Food Bank in Fresno and participated in a roundtable with food security advocates, highlighting $1 million he secured for the new Santé Volunteer Center. Schiff, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, used the visit to emphasize his position that the Farm Bill should reverse cuts to SNAP and strengthen other federal nutrition programs. The release did not include a direct quote from Schiff at the event.

Signals

• volumeToday's 21 releases run 73.2% below the Thursday baseline of 78.5, consistent with Memorial Day state work period activity.
• recessSenate is in Memorial Day state work period; the heavy field-event and oversight-letter cadence — town halls, manufacturer tours, airport grants, hurricane preparedness stops — reflects standard recess-week constituent-facing activity.
• coordinatedAt least 18 Democratic senators are listed as signatories across the two Iran war cost CBO letter releases from Warren and Kelly, making it the day's largest single coordinated action by signatory count.
• volumeSen. Elizabeth Warren posted five releases in a single day — on Iran war costs, GAO education investigation, TRANSCOM evacuation oversight, ICE acting director ethics, and the fair housing letter — an unusually high individual output on a recess Thursday.
• volumeSen. Rick Scott posted three releases Thursday — two English-language hurricane preparedness stops and one Spanish-language version — accounting for three of the 21 total releases on the day.
• silent breaksSen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is listed as a signatory on the Bennet Ukraine/Baltic funding letter per that release, but has not posted his own release in 24 days.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK—
• Sen. Tina Smith, D-MN29d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC24d
• Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI17d