The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a $95bn budget framework that allocates the majority of funds to the Pentagon for the war against Iran, along with aid for farmers and new voting restrictions. The measure passed 216-214, with all Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent voting against it. The resolution now moves to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

According to the budget text, $73bn is earmarked for the armed forces and intelligence agencies to fund operations linked to the war against Iran, $12bn for farmers affected by President Donald Trump's tariff policies, and $10bn for election-related programs as part of the "SAVE America Act," which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said the measure "puts Congressional Republicans on a path to enacting two fundamentally simple and crucial goals: securing American elections and strengthening our homeland." Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro denounced the plan as allowing Mr. Trump "to finance the continuation of his war against Iran," adding that Americans "want the price of basic necessities like food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and gasoline to go down."

The resolution allows Republicans to use the budget reconciliation process in the Senate, enabling passage by a simple majority and bypassing the usual 60-vote threshold. This is the third time Republican leaders have employed this mechanism. Representative Brendan Boyle, a Democrat, argued the plan would add nearly $100bn to new deficits at a time when the national debt is approaching $40tn. The non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget cautioned that the true cost would reach $130bn once interest payments are included. The war against Iran has already cost $37.5bn, according to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said that figure covers expenses through the end of the fiscal year. Analysts previously estimated the war was costing taxpayers more than $890m per day based on known operations and congressional cost estimates, according to CNN Brasil.

The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, according to Excelsior. Since then, fighting has escalated with bombings, missile and drone attacks, and clashes around the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon has confirmed US military deaths from Iranian attacks on regional bases. The budget framework is viewed as the last major legislative push by Republicans before November's midterm elections, which will determine whether they retain their majority in Congress. In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune has not committed to supporting the measure, and some Republican members have refused to pledge passage, according to Al-Manar. Thune has expressed a preference for avoiding a government shutdown by extending current funding.