King Challenges Pentagon Nominees on Financial Cost of Iran War

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) pressed several Pentagon nominees on the total cost of the ongoing conflict in Iran, expressing frustration that neither Congress nor the American people have received a clear accounting of the financial burden of military operations. More specifically, Senator King questioned Department of Defense Comptroller nominee Jules W. Hurst III, who could not provide an updated estimate despite previously serving in a role that conducted oversight of the Pentagon's finances - though he did admit to King that his estimate from earlier this year did not include damage to America's military installations.

Senator King began, "Mr. Hurst, I'm not persuaded by your professed ignorance over the costs of the war. You've been the Chief Comptroller of the Department of Defense until about seven weeks ago. To sit here today and say, "I don't really know and I'm not in the position…" You had to know that this question was going to come up at this hearing today. How much has the Iran war cost the American people?"

"Senator King, I will give you the same answer I gave you during the posture hearing. It was $29 billion at the time I left the position," Mr. Hurst responded.

"Does that $29 billion include damage to facilities and assets in the region?" Senator King continued.

"No, Senator, that estimate did not include military construction. Again, we don't know what the posture is going to be. There are lessons to be learned in military construction from this conflict, and one of them is that the United States needs to invest more in hardened and deeply buried facilities, particularly in these kinds of areas. Mr. Hurst answered.

"So that's not part of the estimate? Your estimate of 29 billion was essentially munitions and expenditures as a direct result of the conflict?" Senator King asked.

"Senator, yes, I would characterize the estimate largely as munitions and that most of the rest of that was operational costs," Mr. Hurst answered.

"And preparing for this hearing you didn't ask any questions about updating that number?" Senator King asked.

"I felt it would be inappropriate to do so, that's not in my current role within the department," Mr. Hurst answered.

"I think it's very frustrating to the American people that we cannot get a straight answer on what the war is costing, not to mention what it has cost and is costing to the American people at the gas pump and in other costs," Senator King finished.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues. Immediately following the American airstrikes in Iran earlier this year, he released a statement asking for answers and consultation with Congress before proceeding with further military action in the Middle East. Senator King has consistently supported War Powers resolutions, asserting Congress's constitutional authority over military conflicts, specifically demanding that the President either obtain congressional authorization for hostilities or remove U.S. Armed Forces from the conflict.

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