The Trump administration will soon ask for Iran war funding, and some Republicans don’t want to use the party-line budget reconciliation process to deliver it.
“That would not be my preference. I understand the need to get this through, but it seems to me that it would be best to go through the appropriations process,” Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Semafor.
Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., agreed, but predicted Democrats won’t go along: “It’s probably going to have to be a party-line reconciliation push, unfortunately.”
Republicans are still digesting the $200 billion number the Pentagon presented to the White House, and Collins is wondering whether intelligence community, farm aid, and Pell Grant funding will be in the package.
“The administration will need to make its case. Clearly, there’s going to need to be additional spending,” said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.