Trump to receive fallen troops as Pentagon seeks $67 billion
The Dover ceremony and a Senate hearing put new pressure on the White House over casualties, costs and goals in the Iran war.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Trump is scheduled to go to Dover Air Force Base as the Pentagon brings home U.S. service members killed by Iranian strikes, NPR reported. The trip puts the war’s human cost in public view as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asks Congress for billions more to sustain the fight.
The Defense Department identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, as the third service member killed in Jordan, according to NPR. Earlier in the week, the department named 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, as two other service members killed last week.
NPR reported that 18 U.S. service members have now been killed during the Iran war. The president’s appearance at Dover comes as questions grow over the conflict’s end point and the administration’s objectives.
Hegseth presses Congress for war funding
Hegseth asked senators for $67 billion in supplemental Pentagon funding during a lengthy and sometimes tense hearing, NPR reported. He said the money would restock equipment and munitions that have been drawn down and speed up deliveries of projects and gear.
Hegseth also warned lawmakers that, without the extra money, the military could face gaps in service members’ pay, according to NPR. Some lawmakers objected to being asked to approve new funds for a conflict that Congress has not authorized.
NPR’s Claudia Grisales reported that senators in both parties questioned Hegseth about Iran’s nuclear program, missile capacity and the outlook for the Strait of Hormuz. Grisales said the questioning reflected doubt on Capitol Hill about where the war is headed as midterm elections approach.
Casualties sharpen political risk
NPR’s Franco Ordoñez reported that the deaths have made the conflict harder for the White House to frame as successful. Justin Logan of the Cato Institute told NPR that depleted munitions may seem remote to many Americans, while coffins draped in flags do not.
Logan also told NPR that Gonzales’s death at age 19 carries particular weight because it underscores the loss of young service members in the conflict. Ordoñez said Trump is trying to convince Americans that the war is going well, even as the casualty count complicates that message.
Grisales reported that the war has created political problems for Republicans and openings for Democrats. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray has tied higher gasoline prices to the latest escalation in fighting, a point Grisales said Democrats are likely to use as they try to win back control of Congress.
The House separately voted to keep the government funded through Dec. 4, past the midterm elections, NPR reported. Democratic leaders opposed the measure, saying it did not block money for Trump’s mass deportation efforts, though six Democrats joined Republicans in advancing it.
The funding bill now goes to the Senate, where it will need Democratic support to pass, according to NPR. If Congress does not act, the federal government could run out of money in September, shortly before voters go to the polls.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.