WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is quickly burning through cash and faces an impending budget shortfall within weeks — adding urgency to officials’ $67 billion request from Congressas the Iran war rages, according to a report.
Due to mounting budget woes, the Pentagon has imposed limits on maintenance and training, which are critical to military readiness, the Washington Post reported.
“Secretary Hegseth has prioritized the needs of our military and our warfighters unlike any of his predecessors,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told The Post.
“He will do whatever is necessary to protect their quality of life and ensure our military remains the most dominant force in the world. Funding our military is not optional — it is essential.”
Currently, GOP lawmakers in Congress are working on a “Reconciliation 3.0” bill that would inject the Pentagon with a $73 billion infusion for defense and intelligence, less than the $200 billion Pentagon honchos initially dangled in March.
But the House is poised to take up a budget resolution framework this week that would merely unlock the process in the Senate to pass the additional funding.
Then the House is set to break for a five-week recess on Thursday. The House and Senate are not slated to be back in session at the same time until mid-September.
In other words, Congress won’t be able to pass the military supplemental package for at least two months.
“Everybody needs to look at this situation and get rid of the complacency that they have,” Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told the Washington Post.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine are set to push lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee for more funding in a Tuesday hearing.
President Trump first ordered strikes on Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury in February, before agreeing to a cease-fire with the Islamic Republic that has collapsed this month.
Over recent days, the US has begun striking Iran again in an effort to undermine its ability to close off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint, where nearly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies once flowed through annually.
Iran has managed to carry out numerous sophisticated attacks on US bases and assets in the region, killing at least three American service members over the weekend.
As a result of the fighting, parts of the budget for the Navy and Air Force for operations in the Middle East could run dry by the month’s end, according to the report.
The Pentagon has shifted money around in response and is reportedly seeking to transfer $4.3 billion from weapons purchases and training to more pressing areas.
All of this comes amid a scramble by the Trump administration to restock America’s arsenal with critical munitions.
Trump has pushed for a $1.5 trillion defense budget that would boost total defense spending by nearly 50%, but has faced complications in Congress. That comes in addition to a $150 billion boost for the military in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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