White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought testifies before the House Budget Committee at the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2026.
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White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told lawmakers he could not estimate the total cost of the Iran war and that the Trump administration hadn’t yet come up with a supplemental funding request to send to Congress.
“We’re not ready to come to you with a request; we’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed in this fiscal year versus next fiscal year,” Vought told members of the House Budget Committee on Wednesday.
“Do you have a ballpark? Will it be more than $50 billion?” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, asked.
“I don’t have a ballpark for you, congresswoman,” Vought said.
Professor Linda Bilmes, a public policy professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, published an analysis this month that found the war could cost taxpayers $1 trillion.
