House Budget Committee advances $95 billion package covering Iran war funding, farm aid and voter-ID measures

Republicans on the House Budget Committee approved a $95 billion reconciliation package on Thursday, advancing it with a 20-14 vote. The proposal allocates roughly $60 billion for the war in Iran, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion for agriculture and $10 billion for administration of voting and elections, including stricter voter-ID requirements championed by President Trump.

Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said the measure is intended to deliver for voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, adding, > "We are rallying to finish what we started when the American people sent us here." He acknowledged debate over the Iran involvement but framed the funding as necessary for basic battlefield supplies.

The package is the third reconciliation effort Republicans have introduced this Congress to advance Trump-aligned priorities with a simple-majority voting process. House Speaker Mike Johnson has been steering the initiative, meeting with the president and holding a private session at Camp David to refine details, though he lacks full backing from the narrow Republican majority and faces skepticism in the Senate.

Democrats on the committee opposed the plan, arguing it omits concerns about affordability and adds to the national debt. Ranking Democrat Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, noted the document does not address cost-of-living issues, while other Democrats proposed amendments to restore healthcare funding, food-stamp assistance and immigration enforcement resources.

The Senate has not yet taken up the proposal, and Majority Leader John Thune indicated senators have “a lot of questions” about defense spending and deficit impacts. The House intends to have its committees develop the bill text during the August recess, with a full vote expected later in the fall.