Ranting Republican Demands Iran Pay for Trump’s War on Iran
The conflict has been eating up roughly $1 billion a day.
A Republican congressman has a solution to the Pentagon’s $200 billion price tag for the Iran war: send the bill to the country America is bombing.
Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry appeared on CNN on Thursday after the Department of Defense requested supplemental funds to keep President Donald Trump’s war on Iran going.
The conflict has been eating up roughly $1 billion a day since it launched on Feb. 28, and has killed almost 1,500 Iranians. Asked by anchor Kaitlan Collins whether he would support the appropriation, Perry said he wanted to see details, suggested the figure was a negotiating opener—and then proposed that Iran itself foot the bill.
Perry made the comments on CNN's The Source.
CNN
“I would actually like to see Iran pay for this, whether it’s $20 billion or $200 billion, whatever it is,” Perry said. “Look, they’ve been at war with us for 47 years, and it’s finally being ended by the president, which is awesome, but it comes at a cost. And they have resources. They have been siphoning those resources away from their population for those four and a half, five decades.”
He continued: “Certainly, they could pay that bill pretty quickly once things get up and running. And the ayatollah is no longer in charge. So I think that’s an option that we need to pursue as well.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Collins, taken aback, pressed him. “You want to see whatever this costs the U.S. taxpayer, whatever the Pentagon does come to you and asks for, to be offset by Iran?” she asked.
The war has very little support outside of Trump's base.
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images
“Well, I think we gotta pay for this somehow, right?” Perry replied, before insisting that Iran—not the United States—started the war. “I don’t see any reason why the people that started this war—it’s not the United States of America—it’s Iran.”
Collins was unconvinced. “I don’t think anyone thinks that Iran’s actually gonna pay $200 billion to offset the cost,” she said.
Perry acknowledged the obvious. “Yeah, right now, Iran’s not gonna pay for it,” he said—before clarifying that his plan hinges on regime change. “But under a different paradigm where the ayatollah’s not in charge, and we have a different system of governance.”
Lauren Boebert blasted the Iran war funding request while speaking to CNN’s Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.
Screengrab/CNN
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of Operation Epic Fury. Iran has since named his son Mojtaba as his successor, although he is said to have been seriously injured in the strike that killed his father.
Meanwhile, not all Republicans are happy with Trump’s grovelling for more cash. “I will not vote for a war supplemental,” Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert told CNN reporter Manu Raju on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
“No. I am a ‘no.’ I’ve already told leadership. I am a ‘no’ on any war supplementals. I am so tired of spending money elsewhere. I am tired of the industrial-war complex getting all of our hard-earned tax dollars. I have folks in Colorado who can’t afford to live. We need America First policies right now, and that? I’m not doing that.”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…