America is spending up to $10 million a day to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) group’s militants in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel estimates – a ballooning expense likely to put the squeeze on a Pentagon budget already under federal spending caps.
“We’re going to require additional funding from Congress as we go forward,” Hagel said, the Washington Examiner reports.
“We’re working now with the appropriate committees on how we go forward with authorizations and funding.”
Hagel’s new estimate of $7 million to $10 million a day for the cost of U.S. operations in Iraq and Syria raises the previous price tag of $7.5 million a day when the campaign was limited to Iraq, the Examiner reports.
The Examiner points out money for the fight against the Islamic State group currently comes from a war-funding measure know as overseas contingency operations – which also funds the war in Afghanistan. Congress allowed for $85.2 billion for that account in fiscal 2014, and the administration has asked for $65.8 billion in fiscal 2015, the Examiner reports.
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{Matzav.com Newscenter}
