In the very near future, the U.S. Department of Defense could run out of money thanks to the profligate spending spree Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been on since he was confirmed to be head of the Pentagon.
The Washington Post reports that the DOD is having to cannibalize some programs just so it will have the cash it needs to continue military strikes against Iran.
Currently, the Pentagon has been forced to limit training and maintenance that help maintain military readiness just so it can carry out urgent military duties such as airstrikes against Iranian targets, the Post notes.
“The White House has asked Congress for an immediate infusion of $67 billion to help cover the costs of the war, but lawmakers are gridlocked over how to proceed. The House plans to leave Washington on Thursday for a month-long recess, leaving any deal on military funding weeks away at the earliest.”
“’Everybody needs to look at this situation and get rid of the complacency that they have,’ Rep. Pat Harrigan (North Carolina), a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in an interview.”
The ongoing conflict with Iran has hit the Navy and Air Force especially hard.
“Parts of the 2026 budget covering ongoing military operations for both services are on track to run out by the end of this month, according to two congressional aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe a sensitive budget situation.”
In April, Hegseth was told by members of Congress that he needed to immediately provide a full accounting of the Iran war costs. But the secretary and his deputies have yet to do so, which could complicate the disbursement of any other funds by the House and Senate committees which have oversight of the Defense Department.
“We need to know what we’re purchasing and why we’re purchasing it,” Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in an interview.
This year’s budget for the DOD, it should be noted, is $1 trillion, a staggering amount at a time when the price of everything — rent, groceries, and gasoline — continues to rise, leaving most Americans struggling to pay their monthly bills.
Seems like one day we’d figure out that we need to invest in our people instead of trying to bomb our way out of disagreements with other nations.
