Hakeem Jeffries won't commit to blocking additional Iran war funding [View all]

Source: NBC News

March 8, 2026, 10:24 AM EDT


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday would not commit to blocking any additional funding for the war in Iran, saying the president has so far failed to justify the war but “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The New York Democrat was asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether House Democrats would move to block a funding request if the White House were to ask for more money for the military. Jeffries said the administration has so far “failed to make its case ... for this war of choice in the Middle East,” and unless President Donald Trump provides a “compelling rationale,” he’s “going to have a difficult case to make on Capitol Hill.”

Congress last year approved a $900 billion defense spending bill as part of routine annual budget appropriations, and the president signed the bill into law in December. But since the U.S. began its military operation in Iran, lawmakers have been considering the need to pass additional defense spending to bolster the U.S. military.

On Tuesday, following a classified briefing for senators about the war, several lawmakers including Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told reporters that they expect the Trump administration will ask for supplemental funding for the war effort. Coons added that he would support additional funding for troops, but, like Jeffries, he demanded more information from the administration about the war.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/hakeem-jeffries-wont-commit-iran-war-funding-defense-department-rcna262271