US F/A-18E Super Hornet aircrafts, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 31, taxiing on the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford. AFP
The scale of the request is striking and is expected to face strong opposition from lawmakers who are already sceptical of the conflict, The Post said.
If approved, the funding would go well beyond the costs of the current air campaign. Much of it would be used to rapidly replenish and expand production of key weapons systems that have been heavily used in recent strikes carried out by US and Israeli forces over the past several weeks, it added.
Multiple sources familiar with internal discussions confirmed that proposals of this magnitude are under consideration. At this stage, it is unclear what final figure the Trump administration will present to Congress, The Post said.
Some within the White House doubt that a request of this size would gain enough support to pass.
According to the sources, several different funding scenarios have been discussed in recent weeks as policymakers weigh political and strategic constraints.
Any formal request is expected to trigger significant debate on Capitol Hill, The Post stated.
It indicated that public support for the military effort remains limited. Democratic lawmakers have voiced strong criticism, while Republicans appear generally supportive of additional funding but have not outlined a clear legislative path forward, particularly given the Senate’s 60-vote requirement.
The US outlet noted that the request also carries political implications for Donald Trump, who previously campaigned on reducing US involvement in overseas conflicts and frequently criticized earlier spending on Ukraine. By late 2024, Congress had already authorized approximately $188 billion for the war in Ukraine, highlighting the scale of recent US military financial commitments.
The Pentagon’s request comes as the US national debt surpassed a record $39 trillion on Wednesday, just weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to the Associated Press. The debt had reached $38 trillion five months ago and $37 trillion two months before that.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett estimated on Sunday that the war against Iran has cost the US more than $12 billion so far, and it remains unclear when the war will end.
According to the Treasury Department’s Fiscal Data website, total government spending in fiscal year 2025 was $7.01 trillion, with total revenue of $5.23 trillion, resulting in a deficit of $1.78 trillion, a decrease of $41 billion from fiscal year 2024.
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