Federal Budget and Fiscal Policy

OMB Director Russell Vought, testifying on April 15 before a House panel and April 16, 2026, before the Senate Budget Committee, refused to provide even a ballpark figure for how much the federal government has spent so far on the U.S.-Iran war while vigorously defending President Trump's FY2027 budget request, which calls for roughly $1.5 trillion in annual defense spending. Senators pressed Vought for an estimate; he told Sen. Patty Murray the figures were not available and were "fluctuating on a day-in, day-out basis," a response Murray called "outrageous." Vought used the hearings to advocate for what the administration calls a "dream military," a proposal that would raise defense funding dramatically above the enacted FY2026 level (above $900 billion), representing roughly a 60% jump to meet expanded military operations amid the Iran conflict.