Warner, Senate Democrats Demand Answers From Hegseth on Cost of Iran War

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 45 of his Senate colleagues in demanding a full accounting of the costs of the ongoing war with Iran. The letter also criticized the Department of Defense for withholding basic budget information from Congress and the American public even as U.S. casualties and taxpayer costs continue to increase. The United States is now more than six months into a conflict President Trump initially said would last six weeks. Eighteen American servicemembers have been killed and more than 820 wounded, and over 50,000 troops are currently deployed to the Middle East. In the letter, the senators note that deployments, including for the USS Lincoln and the 82nd Airborne, have been repeatedly extended, and that their offices have heard directly from military families worried about loved ones serving in the conflict. “Meanwhile, at home, American taxpayers have already paid an extra $100 billion out of their pockets for higher gas and diesel prices alone and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets as a result of the war,” wrote the senators. “Now you are asking that they pay again to fund a war of choice that Congress never authorized and the President launched with no strategic plan.” In their letter, the senators highlight the contrast between the current Pentagon’s transparency record with past wartime practice, noting that Hegseth has briefed Congress only seven times in six months and held just eight Pentagon press briefings or interviews since the war began, compared to more than 70 press briefings in the first month of the Iraq War alone. The senators also criticized the administration’s public supplemental funding request as a seven-page document offering only vague line items, in contrast to the detailed, hundred-page supplemental requests provided to Congress during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The senators are requesting that the Department of Defense provide: A detailed breakdown of all direct and indirect costs of military operations against Iran to date, including damage to installations, aircraft, and equipment. A full accounting of the $67 billion supplemental request, specifying what covers past costs versus future operations. A detailed plan for how the Pentagon intends to spend the remaining $34 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent,” continued the senators. “Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget.” In addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Secretary Hegseth: We write regarding the Department of Defense’s failure to provide the American people with basic information about the war with Iran and its cost to taxpayers, even as the human costs of this war rise. More than six months into a war that the President said would last six weeks, 18 American servicemembers have been killed, more than 820 have been wounded, and more than 50,000 troops are currently deployed in the Middle East. Our troops have had their deployments extended repeatedly, as with the USS Lincoln and now the 82nd Airborne. Our offices have all received outreach from military families concerned about the safety and well-being of their loved ones serving and sacrificing in this war. Meanwhile, at home, American taxpayers have already paid an extra $100 billion out of their pockets for higher gas and diesel prices alone and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets as a result of the war. Now you are asking that they pay again to fund a war of choice that Congress never authorized and the President launched with no strategic plan. Based on the little information provided, the Department says it has already spent $41.7 billion on this war, though unofficial estimates put that figure much higher. In June, you formally asked the American taxpayers to foot the bill for a $67 billion Iran war supplemental request. This is on top of the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 budget request. And all of these pending requests come while the Department still has $48 billion in unspent funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that the Pentagon has not accounted for. Despite your stated needs, you have repeatedly refused to share basic information that previous Administrations, both Republican and Democratic, provided to the American public and Congress during times of war. Donald Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense during the Iraq War, briefed Congress more than 20 times in the first six months of that war. In his briefings, he publicly provided granular detail about the war, including objectives; precise figures on damaged aircraft; quality of life for our troops—down to the number of days it took to deliver mail; and detailed breakdowns for transportation, operational support, and munitions replenishment costs in the supplemental request. In stark contrast, you have briefed Congress just seven times in that same period and in those appearances refused to answer even basic questions about the objectives and cost of this war. Your Department has held only eight Pentagon press briefings or interviews since the start of the Iran War, compared to more than 70 in the first month of the Iraq War alone. This lack of basic information extends to the Pentagon’s spending. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congress regularly received public supplemental requests that were more than a hundred pages long, with detailed explanations for how funding would be used, down to the number of barrels of fuel. In contrast, your public $67 billion Iran war supplemental request was a thin, seven-page document with only vague descriptions, such as “$1.2 billion for Administration priorities.” Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent. Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget. You shared this belief before entering government. In 2012, you criticized the Department’s ability to “shift literally hundreds of millions of dollars from program to program with little accountability.” You added, “[r]eforming the culture at the Pentagon to bring greater spending accountability will be difficult, but it’s long overdue.” And just last year, you said that “the American taxpayers deserve” to know where their money goes, “how it’s spent and make sure it’s spent wisely.” We agree. Given this, we request the following information to inform the Senate’s decision-making by September 30, 2026. Cost of the Iran War: Please provide a detailed cost breakdown for the cost of military operations against Iran to date, inclusive of all direct and indirect costs attributable to the conflict. This should include damage to military installations, aircraft, and equipment; cost to refurbish deployed ships and aircraft; and expected benefits for veterans. $67 Billion Iran War Supplemental: Please provide a breakdown of the Administration’s supplemental request, including a detailed accounting for each major funding category and estimated expenses for the war in Iran. This breakdown should identify which portions of the request are intended to reimburse costs already incurred, which are intended to fund anticipated future operations, and which are unrelated to military operations against Iran. Please also note potential future funding requirements not included in the request, such as repairing military installations. One Big Beautiful Bill Act Funding: Please provide a detailed accounting of how the $48 billion remaining from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will be spent, on what timeline, and whether any of these funds will support operations related to the Iran war. The American people elected us to be responsible stewards of their tax dollars. The information we are requesting is the bare minimum required for us to carry out that responsibility. We look forward to receiving your response. ###