Republican Lawmakers... $95 Billion Allocated for Iran War, Elections, and Farmer Aid

Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled on Wednesday a $95 billion funding package focused on bolstering military capabilities, assisting farmers, and implementing stricter voter registration rules, serving as a complement to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and major spending legislation signed by U.S. President Donald Trump last year.

The new 47-page bill, known as the budget resolution, is an ambitious proposal aimed at supporting Pentagon funding for the war on Iran and addressing Trump’s top priority of changing voter registration terms. This version of the bill modifies a more ambitious draft to ease conservative concerns about how the legislation would be funded and its potential impact on increasing the U.S. government’s deficit. The bill does not include any proposals to cover the new spending.

The bill directs the House Armed Services Committee to draft legislation allocating $60 billion, the House Select Committee on Intelligence to draft legislation allocating $13 billion, the House Agriculture Committee to allocate $12 billion, and the House Administration Committee to allocate $10 billion. The $10 billion will be used to fund a comprehensive amendment to election laws, requiring those seeking to register to vote to provide proof of citizenship.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve the same resolution to begin drafting the final bill. This process could be lengthy, as most of the work will take place after members of Congress return from their summer recess in August, during the peak of the midterm election season. Democrats are expected to strongly oppose any final version, forcing Republicans to vote on dozens of complex amendments.

Nevertheless, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, expressed confidence in the bill’s passage.

Johnson praised House Budget Committee Chairman Jody Hice, a Republican from Texas, and other committee members for their swift action in advancing the resolution, which would give Republicans the opportunity to bring it to a final vote before the midterm elections.