President Donald Trump on Wednesday appealed to Congress for nearly $88 billion to cover the costs of the war in Iran, aid for farmers, and the fight against the Ebola virus.
This request has been long anticipated due to the significant expenses incurred during the four-month conflict in the Middle East. However, passing the package, which requires at least some bipartisan support in the Senate, faces a tough challenge as lawmakers from both parties grow increasingly wary of large new expenditures amid an extremely unpopular war.
The proposal includes $67.1 billion for the Pentagon, with $21 billion earmarked for ammunition to replenish missile stocks used in the conflict. Additionally, $17.3 billion is allocated for operations, $1.7 billion for military readiness, and $1.5 billion for fuel expenses. This defense package also includes $2.4 billion for drones and $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomous systems. Another $12.1 billion from the request will be directed toward secret programs.
Many Democrats, who oppose the war and consider the conflict illegal, are likely to object to spending such a large sum. The request for tens of billions in additional military spending comes as Trump insists on a record military budget of $1.5 trillion, approximately 50 percent higher than this year’s level. Democrats have dismissed this historic request as wasteful and criticized Trump and Republicans for simultaneously attempting to cut domestic programs.
Farmer aid and other initiatives
The package Trump sent to lawmakers is significantly smaller than the approximately $200 billion that his administration reportedly considered in recent months. The request also includes $11.1 billion in aid to farmers, providing direct support for those affected by Trump’s tariffs, rising costs, and weather disasters in Florida.
According to four individuals familiar with the situation who wished to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive spending issues, Republican senators from agricultural states have sought $17.2 billion for key agricultural sectors in their states and plan to increase agricultural funding beyond the White House’s proposal.
This request comes as Trump tries to convince lawmakers and the American public that a peace deal is near following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between U.S. and Iranian officials earlier this month. The White House’s proposal could complicate House Republicans’ attempts to pass a third spending package along party lines, which was to focus on $350 billion in defense funding that Democrats would not support.
As part of the additional package, the administration also proposed $1.4 billion to respond to the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa. Another $500 million from the package will go to restoration and construction projects in Washington, D.C. Trump also requested an additional $1 billion to assist in the design and construction of a modernized Penn Station in New York.
Regulation of hemp products and E15 fuel
The additional request also includes updating the legislative definition of cannabinoid products derived from hemp to create a regulatory framework that will allow consumers to access “appropriate full-spectrum CBD products”, while maintaining Congress’s intent to combat bad actors who exploited a loophole in the 2018 farm bill.
Senior appropriators Senator Mitch McConnell (Republican from Kentucky) and Representative Andy Harris (Republican from Maryland) secured a provision in last year’s agricultural funding bill that would increase oversight of intoxicating hemp products legalized through the 2018 farm bill. The hemp industry has warned that this provision, set to take effect in November, will effectively destroy their business.
Trump’s request will also ask Congress to pass legislation allowing year-round sales of E15 fuel—a move supported by Republicans from agricultural states to benefit corn producers ahead of the midterm elections. This legislation was passed by the House of Representatives in May but sparked an internal struggle among Senate Republicans, who were divided over whether to support the interests of the oil or agricultural industries. Trump urged Congress in January to pass the E15 bill.
Source: Politico