Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said Sunday that Congress has not yet received a request from the Trump administration for additional funding to support the war in Iran, as lawmakers continue to question the costs and legal basis of the conflict.
Speaking with host Margaret Brennan on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Kaine said administration officials told senators during a recent classified briefing that no decision has been made on whether to submit a supplemental budget request to Congress.
The discussion comes as analysts estimate the early financial toll of the conflict. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has estimated that the first 100 hours of the war cost nearly $4 billion.
Kaine said he has two immediate priorities as the situation develops: ending the conflict and protecting U.S. troops deployed in the region.
“My goals right now are two-fold,” Kaine said. “Stop this war, which I view as both illegal and profoundly unwise, and protect our troops.”
If the White House ultimately sends Congress a supplemental funding request, Kaine said he would evaluate it based on whether it advances those objectives, particularly safeguarding U.S. service members.
Brennan pressed Kaine on why the administration has not yet determined whether additional funding will be needed. Kaine suggested the uncertainty may be tied to the duration of the conflict and the administration’s reluctance to bring the issue before Congress.
Traditionally, he said, administrations avoid requesting supplemental funding in the early stages of a military operation because the ultimate cost is still unclear. But Kaine added that the White House may also be trying to avoid forcing lawmakers to vote on the war.
Kaine Warns Of Risks To US Prisoners In Iran As War Escalates
Earlier in the week, Kaine introduced a War Powers Resolution seeking to require congressional authorization for the conflict. The measure failed in the Senate, but Kaine said he intends to continue pressing for debate.
“I’m not going away,” Kaine said, adding that Congress still has other avenues to examine whether the war is in the United States’ interest after more than two decades of military involvement in the Middle East.
The interview also touched on Americans being held in Iran, including journalist Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old detainee reportedly imprisoned at Evin Prison.
Kaine said he was concerned about their safety amid the escalating conflict and warned that retaliation by Iranian authorities could put detained Americans at greater risk.
“If school kids are being killed in bombing, likely U.S. bombing,” Kaine said, “I worry about the fate of U.S. citizens who are being held prisoners there.”
Brennan noted that the U.S. military is investigating reports of a deadly airstrike that struck a girls’ school in Iran, which officials have said remains under review. Earlier this morning, a preliminary assessment suggested that the U.S. is “likely” responsible for the airstrike, though it was not intentional.
The interview ended with Kaine reiterating his concern about the war and its potential consequences for both U.S. troops and civilians in the region.
