{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/new-trumps-war-in-iran-cost-dod-nearly-40-billion-and-drove-nearly-half-of-inflation-according-to-cbo-report/", "NEW: Trump\u2019s War in Iran Cost DoD Nearly $40 Billion and Drove Nearly Half of Inflation, According to CBO Report", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "Text of Report (PDF)\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, in response to an inquiry led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, along with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new data on the cost of President Trump\u2019s war in Iran.\n\nThe major findings include:\n\nTrump\u2019s war with Iran cost the Department of Defense (DoD) nearly $40 billion as of Aug 1 \u2013 without including the cost of damage to \u201chundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases\u201d in the region.\n\nThe U.S. military will not be able to replace munitions destroyed in the war for at least five years.\n\nCBO estimates that more than 40% of inflation from the second quarter of 2026 is a consequence of Trump\u2019s war.\n\nCBO estimates that inflation will be 0.5 percentage points higher in the first quarter of 2027 than it would have been without the war\u2014ultimately driving interest rates higher and increasing borrowing costs for American families and businesses.\n\nCBO estimates that it will take \u201cat least five years\u2014even if production was increased\u201d to replace the munitions destroyed.\n\nCBO\u2019s estimate did not include $113 million in costs incurred by State, including $79.2 million \u201cto respond to contingencies stemming from the Iran conflict.\u201d Additionally, given that the macroeconomic projections were based on data through August 17, 2026, and global oil prices and futures have increased since then, it\u2019s likely that these estimates do not capture the full extent of the war\u2019s continued impact on inflation.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s illegal war with Iran is a one-two punch that\u2019s burning a hole in Americans\u2019 pockets and burning a hole in our munitions supply, hurting our military readiness,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cThis war is a betrayal of the American people, and it needs to end.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter months of the Trump Administration hiding the true cost of his illegal war of choice with Iran, the American people are finally getting independent and objective answers on the cost of the conflict,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cAs prices for everything from groceries to gas skyrocket, we must end this abuse of taxpayer dollars and double down on ending Trump\u2019s illegal war. It has cost America dearly.\u201d\n\nSenator Warren has fought to hold the Trump administration accountable for waging an illegal war in Iran:\n\nOn July 30, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, led 11 members of Congress in opening an investigation into reports that the DoD failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait.\n\nOn April 22, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) pressed General Randall Reed, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), on the Trump administration\u2019s failures in evacuating Americans from the Middle East at the start of President Trump\u2019s illegal war in Iran.\n\nOn April 20, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Van Hollen (D-Md.) led nine senators in opening a new investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth\u2019s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump\u2019s war in Iran.\n\nOn April 7, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) released a new video condemning President Trump\u2019s threat to wipe out the \u201cwhole civilization\u201d of Iran and called for Majority Leader Thune to bring the Senate back into session immediately to vote to stop Trump\u2019s war.\n\nOn March 20, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, wrote to Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and other members of the Trump administration, raising concerns about the financial costs for American families from President Trump\u2019s illegal and reckless war with Iran.\n\nOn March 20, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) sounded the alarm about the Trump administration\u2019s sidelining of the military\u2019s Judge Advocate General Corps, who are responsible for providing independent legal advice to commanders. Senator Warren pressed the commanders of United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command about the impact the sidelining of JAGs has on civilian harm as the war against Iran continues.\n\nOn March 11, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 41 colleagues pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full investigation into the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration\u2019s war on Iran.\n\nOn March 12, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Director of the Congressional Budget Office on the financial implications of the Iran war and highlighted that the enormous financial cost could instead be used to lower the cost of health care.\n\nOn March 5, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) led the entire Massachusetts delegation in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain the Trump administration\u2019s \u201ccomplete failure\u201d to evacuate U.S. citizens \u2014 including Massachusetts residents \u2014 from the Middle East following the administration\u2019s starting a reckless war in Iran.\n\nOn March 3, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to call on Congress to end President Donald Trump\u2019s reckless war in Iran and demand accountability.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/new-trumps-war-in-iran-cost-dod-nearly-40-billion-and-drove-nearly-half-of-inflation-according-to-cbo-report/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2835161071270704, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}