Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania has suggested the idea of including funding for Ukraine in the Pentagon’s $200 billion request that Congress is considering for the Iran war.
Fitzpatrick mentioned to reporters that he’s in discussions with colleagues about possibly allocating some of that funding to support Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia. This comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s Department of the Army’s request for additional funds related to Operation Epic Fury, as reported by a newspaper. Fitzpatrick is known as a staunch supporter of Ukraine and co-chairs a parliamentary delegation focused on the country.
His office has not yet responded to comments from the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding this matter.
On Thursday, Army Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the $200 billion request regarding Iran and stated that part of this funding is essential to replenish U.S. munitions used in Operation Epic Fury.
“I think the number might change as it gets closer to $200 billion,” Hegseth said. “It costs money to defeat adversaries, that’s a reality. We need to ensure that the efforts so far, and what’s necessary moving forward, are financially supported, and equipment is restocked properly.” He pointed out that former President Biden’s administration diminished U.S. military stockpiles while supporting Ukraine, which has contributed to the current complexities.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Congress had allocated approximately $188 billion for the Ukraine conflict by the end of February, which is roughly equivalent to the Pentagon’s request for Iran. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Congress has approved multiple bills providing substantial aid to Eastern European countries, and Fitzpatrick has consistently supported funding transfers to Ukraine.
Amid his campaign for the 2024 election, Trump promised to initiate peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian leaders. However, these discussions have made little progress, and hostilities continue more than a year into Trump’s second term.
Fitzpatrick serves Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, which is often seen as a swing seat, previously leaning support for Vice President Kamala Harris. The margin of victory in 2024 was narrow, at just 0.3 percentage points. He is one of a few House Republicans from districts that voted Democratic that year and has been targeted for potential defeat by Democratic campaign groups.
