House Republican says Congress 'probably' will have to use reconciliation for Iran war funding
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GOP Rep. Mark Harris (N.C.) said on Sunday that Congress will likely need to provide the Pentagon with additional funding for the Iran war via a budget reconciliation package.
Harris suggested that budgetary measure would be necessary to get a bill through the Senate, where Democrats can use the filibuster to block legislation. Budget reconciliation bills cannot be filibustered.
“To be honest with you, it’s probably going to take something along reconciliation to be able to do it because the Democrats don’t offer us any votes to go along,” Harris told host Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
Earlier this week, the White House requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Operation Epic Fury, spread out across the departments of Defense and Energy, the Coast Guard and the FBI.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump ventured to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to drum up support for the funding, which is in addition to the administration’s requested Pentagon budget of $1.15 trillion.
Trump has also repeatedly urged Congress to approve $350 billion in defense spending as part of a third reconciliation bill.
However, a number of House GOP fiscal hawks have been noncommittal on whether they support the additional defense funding. The push from the administration for extra money for the Pentagon comes as a majority of Americans express concerns about the financial cost of the conflict.
Two-thirds of respondents to a recent Gallup survey said rising gas prices, which occurred as a result of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war, have caused financial hardship for their household.
The nearly $88 billion in supplemental funding for the war — which is subject to an often-violated ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran — would help backfill stockpiles of highly sophisticated munitions that were in short supply before the conflict.
Harris said Sunday the funding will ensure “we get our weapons back to where we need to be from what we’ve already done” in Iran.
“And I think that we want to make sure that America is strong and that our military remains the superpower that it really is,” the North Carolina Republican added.
There is also some skepticism in the GOP Senate about moving a third budget reconciliation package.
Both Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who are key appropriators, have said they do not think there will be a third package.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
A House Republican indicated that additional Pentagon funding for Iran operations would likely require passage through budget reconciliation, a legislative process that avoids Senate filibuster rules. The White House has requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding across multiple agencies for ongoing operations. The administration is separately pursuing $350 billion in broader defense spending through reconciliation. While some House Republicans remain uncommitted on additional defense funding, some Senate Republicans including Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell have expressed skepticism about passing a third reconciliation package. Public polling shows two-thirds of Americans report household financial hardship related to gas price increases resulting from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
Skip to content
GOP Rep. Mark Harris (N.C.) said on Sunday that Congress will likely need to provide the Pentagon with additional funding for the Iran war via a budget reconciliation package.
Harris suggested that budgetary measure would be necessary to get a bill through the Senate, where Democrats can use the filibuster to block legislation. Budget reconciliation bills cannot be filibustered.
“To be honest with you, it’s probably going to take something along reconciliation to be able to do it because the Democrats don’t offer us any votes to go along,” Harris told host Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
Earlier this week, the White House requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Operation Epic Fury, spread out across the departments of Defense and Energy, the Coast Guard and the FBI.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump ventured to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to drum up support for the funding, which is in addition to the administration’s requested Pentagon budget of $1.15 trillion.
Trump has also repeatedly urged Congress to approve $350 billion in defense spending as part of a third reconciliation bill.
However, a number of House GOP fiscal hawks have been noncommittal on whether they support the additional defense funding. The push from the administration for extra money for the Pentagon comes as a majority of Americans express concerns about the financial cost of the conflict.
Two-thirds of respondents to a recent Gallup survey said rising gas prices, which occurred as a result of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war, have caused financial hardship for their household.
The nearly $88 billion in supplemental funding for the war — which is subject to an often-violated ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran — would help backfill stockpiles of highly sophisticated munitions that were in short supply before the conflict.
Harris said Sunday the funding will ensure “we get our weapons back to where we need to be from what we’ve already done” in Iran.
“And I think that we want to make sure that America is strong and that our military remains the superpower that it really is,” the North Carolina Republican added.
There is also some skepticism in the GOP Senate about moving a third budget reconciliation package.
Both Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who are key appropriators, have said they do not think there will be a third package.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
GOP Rep. Mark Harris said Congress will likely need budget reconciliation to fund additional Pentagon spending for Iran operations, citing Democratic opposition to the measure The White House requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Iran operations spread across Defense, Energy, Coast Guard, and FBI The administration separately requested $350 billion in additional defense spending via a third reconciliation bill Some House GOP fiscal hawks have been noncommittal on supporting the additional defense funding Two-thirds of respondents to a Gallup survey reported that rising gas prices from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused financial hardship Sens. Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell have said they do not think there will be a third reconciliation package Harris framed the funding as necessary to restore weapons stockpiles and ensure American military superiority
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
- A House Republican said Congress will likely need a budget reconciliation bill to fund additional Pentagon spending related to Iran, since reconciliation bills bypass the Senate filibuster
- The White House requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Iran operations across Defense, Energy, Coast Guard, and FBI
- The administration is also seeking $350 billion in defense spending through a third reconciliation package, though some GOP senators oppose a third package
- Two-thirds of Americans surveyed report financial hardship from rising gas prices caused by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz