Boyle Requests CBO Analysis on Cost of Trump’s Iran War

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, sent a letter to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office requesting an official estimate of the financial and economic impact of President Trump’s military operation in Iran and how much it will cost American taxpayers.

“Taxpayers deserve a nonpartisan estimate of the financial and economic impact of President Trump’s reckless war in Iran that has already led to the tragic deaths of American service members,” said Ranking Member Boyle. “That is why I have asked the Congressional Budget Office to provide an official analysis of how much this military operation will cost taxpayers. American families don’t want billions of dollars wasted on an unnecessary war — they want lower costs and affordable health care.”

The letter asks the Congressional Budget Office to provide analysis on:

• The operational, logistical, and sustainment costs of the war in Iran, including any additional direct or indirect costs associated with the use of military forces for this purpose.
• Given the history of recent military operations, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom, what other types of additional costs might be involved in a war with Iran? For example, diplomatic operations and foreign aid costs. To the extent possible, can CBO estimate those additional costs?
• The opportunity costs of operations in Iran. For instance, how would moving an aircraft carrier from near Taiwan to off the coast of Iran impact the United States responding to potential Chinese aggression?
• The effect on prices from the economic disruption caused by the war in Iran.

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

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