Trump asks for $200 billion for the war with Iran: what else could this money be spent on?

Donald Trump is ready to ask Congress for a massive additional funding for the war with Iran. This is despite the fact that his administration has already cut funding for several key government programs, and the president's tax cuts are increasing the federal deficit by the day, writes Forbes.

The sum of $200 billion would help to solve the following problematic issues:

Health: Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to extend the increased tax credit on health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act, which expired at the end of 2025. This has more than doubled the average premiums for 22 million recipients.

Extending these subsidies would cost about $60 billion over two years or $350 billion over ten years.

On the subject: The war in Iran is beneficial to Russia: its revenue from oil exports now amounts to $230 million per day.

Clean Energy Tax CreditsHouse Democrats are seeking to restore clean energy tax credits enacted under Biden and repealed by Republicans last year. They propose the Energy Bills Relief Act, which would expand the Low Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Home Energy Efficiency Program, and allocate $2,1 billion for transformers, new grid technologies, and other measures.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): A bipartisan group of 40 senators, citing rising heating costs due to the unexpectedly cold winter, last week called on the Trump administration to transfer the remaining $400 million in LIHEAP funds allocated in the 2026 fiscal year budget to states. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, said the request comes as "the Trump administration is funneling taxpayer-earned money into endless wars abroad."

Trump's tax cutsCongress approved $4,5 trillion in tax cuts over the next ten years as part of the "Big Beautiful Act." It extends tax cuts from Trump's first term, as well as new measures such as eliminating overtime and tip taxes. It is financed in part by controversial changes to food assistance, student loans, and Medicaid.

War in UkraineThe US has already allocated $180 billion to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, but the International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine will need another $160 billion in foreign aid over the next two years.

Assistance to victims of forest fires: Congressional Democrats have repeatedly called on the Trump administration to provide California with $34 billion through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help rebuild the Palisades region after the January 2025 wildfires.

Support for farmersFarmers and some Republicans are pushing for financial assistance for farmers. A $15 billion package is being considered for support.

$1 trillion is the amount Congress has already allocated for defense in fiscal year 2026, a record amount. In January, Trump announced that he would seek an additional $500 billion in defense spending in his 2027 budget request.

On March 18, The Washington Post reported, citing sources, that the White House was preparing a request to Congress for over $200 billion in war funding. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this information. On March 19, the president told reporters that the White House was requesting these funds "for a variety of reasons, not just Iran": "It's a small price to pay to stay at the top."

Hegseth said the amount "could change": "It takes more money to kill the bad guys." The Pentagon reportedly spent $11 billion in the first six days of the war alone.

It remains unclear whether Republicans can muster the support to pass the $200 billion request. They can afford to lose no more than two votes in the House, and they would need the support of seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome a filibuster.

Some Republicans are considering tying war funding to farm aid to make the package more palatable to their party, as well as to wildfire relief to appeal to Democrats, Politico reports.

Sen. John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican, expressed confidence that it would achieve a "critical mass" of votes because, he said, "Democrats want funding for California after the fires, and Republicans want funding for agriculture."

Congressman Jodey Arrington, a Texas Republican, told CNN that a Pentagon audit is needed first. Congressman Chip Roy, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Thomas Massie want more information about the war's goals, objectives, and timeline before approving additional funding. Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, noted that she has not received a formal request from the White House, and that the $200 billion figure is "significantly higher than she expected." Senator Roger Marshall believes the figure "seems too high."

One Republican, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, assured that she would not support additional funding for the war with Iran. In an interview with CNN, she said, "I'm tired of us spending money there... In my Colorado, people can't afford to live a normal life. We need solutions now that benefit America."

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Boebert's position reflects the split within Trump's supporters on the war issue. Several influential right-wing figures, including Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, have strongly opposed the war, arguing that it runs counter to the "America First" principle and Trump's campaign pledge to avoid engaging the country in new military conflicts.

Read also on ForumDaily:

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Bang-bang, bang-bang: US propagandists portray the Iran war as a Hollywood action movie

NATO allies refuse to help Trump in the Strait of Hormuz, which is controlled by Iran, as oil prices continue to rise.

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