Updated
Updated · WPVI-TV · Jul 21
Senators Grill Hegseth Over Iran War as Republicans Push $95 Billion Budget
Updated
Updated · WPVI-TV · Jul 21

Senators Grill Hegseth Over Iran War as Republicans Push $95 Billion Budget

3 articles · Updated · WPVI-TV · Jul 21

Summary

  • Three more U.S. service members have died in the Iran conflict, lifting the toll to 17, as Pete Hegseth faces Senate questioning over the war and a new GOP funding push.
  • The Republican package would provide $95 billion overall, with war funding as the largest piece, plus $10 billion for farmers hit by Trump’s tariffs and $10 billion for voting-law changes.
  • Democrats are pressing Hegseth over withheld casualty figures, now nearly 450 injured since the war began, and over an unreleased Pentagon report on a deadly strike on an Iran primary school.
  • Trump is seeking more money even after saying more than 40 times that a deal was near, while an AP-NORC poll shows most Americans still disapprove of his handling of Iran.
  • The plan heads toward a House vote this week through reconciliation, but Speaker Mike Johnson can spare only a few defections as some Republicans warn the unfunded package will deepen deficits.

Insights

As a controversial study re-evaluates women in combat, what does this mean for the future of the U.S. military's force structure?
With the Pentagon cutting recognized faiths by 85%, how will it support the spiritual needs of all its diverse service members?