Hegseth Presses Congress for $350 Billion Pentagon Increase Tied to Iran War

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is on Capitol Hill pressing Congress for a $350 billion Pentagon increase atop $1.1 trillion in existing defense appropriations, NPR reported July 21. The White House seeks the money through budget reconciliation for the Iran war, bypassing the Senate's 60-vote threshold. The request follows Senate Democrats' July 14 blockade of a $1.15 trillion defense bill over the conflict.