Key facts
- Senate Democrats are demanding a price tag for the ongoing conflict in Iran from the Pentagon.
- Lawmakers stated the Pentagon has not provided basic information on how requested funds are being spent.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimated the conflict costs $2 billion to $3 billion per month.
- The first five months of the conflict cost the U.S. $38 billion, according to the CBO.
Senate Democrats have demanded a detailed accounting of the costs associated with the ongoing conflict in Iran from the Pentagon. In a letter, the senators stated that despite requests for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, the department has failed to provide basic information on how these funds have been and will be spent. They emphasized that Congress needs this information for its oversight responsibilities, calling it the "bare minimum" expected by Americans when managing their own household budgets.
The demand comes as the conflict enters its seventh month without an end in sight. The Congressional Budget Office provided the most comprehensive look at the conflict's costs to date, estimating it would reach about $2 billion to $3 billion per month. The CBO noted that the first five months of the conflict cost the U.S. $38 billion.