Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday Congress has to “adequately fund defense” amid the military campaign in Iran as he declined to rule out a possible $200 billion emergency Pentagon infusion. VERBATIM: Johnson spoke shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to rule out a supplemental spending request of that size at a morning news conference. […]
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Speaker Johnson on Pentagon Request for War Funding
Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday Congress has to “adequately fund defense” amid the military campaign in Iran as he declined to rule out a possible $200 billion emergency Pentagon infusion.
VERBATIM:
Johnson spoke shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to rule out a supplemental spending request of that size at a morning news conference.
Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, “I’m sure it’s not a random number,” saying he expected any funding request to be “detailed and specified.”
Several Democrats immediately rejected the suggestion of a $200 billion funding bill out of hand, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise declined to say if such a request could pass the House.
Bernie Bennett, Washington.