© AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite The Capitol building in Washington, DC, USA. Archival photo
According to the newspaper, the Pentagon is asking the administration to send an additional request to Congress for more than $200 billion. The funds are needed to urgently replenish the stockpile of weapons, which have been significantly reduced during the three weeks of intensive strikes on Iran. The United States spent more than $11 billion in the first week of hostilities alone.
Congress may block the request
White House sources believe that approval of such a request is unlikely. It is noted that the requested amount is comparable to the amount of aid to Ukraine – about $188 billion since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon has proposed several funding models in an attempt to increase the chances of the initiative’s approval.
A number of officials and analysts believe the upcoming request will test the level of support for the military operation in Congress. Democrats and some Republicans may oppose it and try to block the initiative.
An additional limitation remains the production capabilities of the American military-industrial complex. According to experts, the industry will not be able to quickly increase the production of complex and expensive weapons because of its dependence on labor and supplies of critical materials.
