Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said Sunday that Congress will likely need to use the budget reconciliation process to approve additional funding for the Pentagon related to the Iran war, arguing it may be the only practical path through the Senate.
Speaking with host Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation’s "The Hill," Harris said Democrats are unlikely to provide the votes needed to advance a standalone funding bill, making reconciliation the most viable option because those measures are not subject to the Senate filibuster.
“To be honest with you, it’s probably going to take something along reconciliation to be able to do it because the Democrats don’t offer us any votes to go along,” Harris said.
The comments come after the White House earlier this week requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for Operation Epic Fury. The proposed funding would be distributed across multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Energy, as well as the Coast Guard and the FBI.
The supplemental request comes on top of the administration’s proposed $1.15 trillion Pentagon budget.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to build support among lawmakers for the additional funding request, underscoring the administration’s push to secure the resources needed following the conflict with Iran.
Trump has also repeatedly called on Congress to include $350 billion in defense spending as part of a third budget reconciliation package, expanding the administration’s broader effort to increase military funding.
Despite that push, not all Republicans have signaled support for additional defense spending. Several House GOP fiscal conservatives have remained noncommittal about whether they would back another major increase for the Pentagon, leaving questions about whether the administration can unite Republicans behind the proposal.
The debate over military funding comes as concerns grow among Americans about the financial impact of the conflict.
According to a recent Gallup survey, roughly two-thirds of respondents said higher gasoline prices resulting from Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war created financial hardship for their households.
The nearly $88 billion supplemental request is intended in part to replenish stockpiles of advanced munitions that were already in limited supply before the conflict began. The funding would help restore weapons inventories following U.S. military operations conducted during the war, which remains subject to an often-violated ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
Harris said restoring those military stockpiles is a key reason Congress should approve the request.
“We get our weapons back to where we need to be from what we’ve already done,” the North Carolina Republican said.
He added that maintaining military readiness remains an important objective.
“And I think that we want to make sure that America is strong and that our military remains the superpower that it really is,” Harris said.
While House Republicans continue discussing the administration’s request, there is also skepticism among Republicans in the Senate about pursuing another reconciliation package.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both influential appropriators, have expressed doubt that Congress will ultimately move forward with a third reconciliation bill.
Their comments highlight the challenges facing the administration as it seeks additional defense funding, even as Republican leaders continue weighing how best to advance the request through Congress.
