Ro Khanna Vows Bill to Cut Off Funding for the Iran War After Democrats Take Congress

Rep. Ro Khanna has vowed to introduce a bill to cut off funding for the Iran war after Democrats take control of Congress, the first major test of the new majority's promise to end the conflict. The California Democrat said he would file the bill in November or December, saying ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz would ease fuel, transport and food prices.

Key Points

• Ro Khanna will introduce a bill in November or December 2026 to stop funding the Iran war, after Democrats won Congress in the midterms.
• He also proposed a continuing resolution barring federal funds for US combat in Iran and ending US assistance to Israel.
• It builds on his pre-election pledge that a Democratic Congress would cut off money for further action in Iran “on day one”.
• Ted Lieu said in July that Democrats would pass a bill to end the Iran war on the first day of the new Congress.
• The war has cost the US more than $47 billion so far, per Pentagon data reported on 28 October, after a $200 billion March request shocked even some Republicans.

What Happened

Khanna outlined the plan to the ANI news agency after the midterm results, saying the new Congress should move quickly once it convenes in January. The bill would bar federal money for further combat in Iran, which Khanna called the most direct way to end a war now in its ninth month. He also urged colleagues to advance the Epstein 2.0 Act with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie.

It came as the administration's own position appeared to shift. Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that Washington had made “progress” in talks with Iran and that the United States had set no deadline for a deal before strikes might resume. President Donald Trump said the same day an agreement was “coming together very nicely” and Iran wants a deal.

Background: Nine Months of War and $47 Billion

The US has been at war with Iran since 28 February. The fighting has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sent oil prices swinging, and drawn the US into repeated strikes, including defensive operations around Iran's Qeshm Island.

The cost has grown into a political issue of its own. Pentagon data reported on 28 October put it at more than $47 billion so far, and the administration's initial $200 billion request in March startled even some Republicans. The spending became a recurring midterm theme as voters complained about the cost of living. Khanna, a persistent critic of the war in Congress, said on Fox News Sunday just before the election: “I would stop the funding. The House and the Senate should stop the funding for any further actions in the Iran War. That's what we did to stop the Vietnam War, and we need to stop this war in Iran.”

Ro Khanna Iran War Funding Bill: How a Funding Cutoff Would Work

The power of the purse is Congress's oldest lever against a war it no longer supports. Rather than ordering troops home, lawmakers can simply refuse to pay for the fighting, and Khanna's bill would do that: bar federal funds for combat operations in Iran. It has a famous precedent: in the final years of the Vietnam War, Congress used funding restrictions to wind down American involvement, and Khanna cites that history.

The politics are more complicated. Appropriations bills face a presidential veto, overridable only by two-thirds of each chamber, so a standalone ban could be blocked even if it passed both houses. That is why Khanna has also floated the continuing-resolution route: Congress can simply decline to pass new war funding, and a president cannot veto its absence. His claim that the president “can't veto” a cutoff needs that qualification, but the point stands.

Reactions and Quotes

Khanna framed it as a direct answer to voters' worries about prices. Ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, he argued, would ease fuel, transport and food costs — the affordability concerns that dominated the midterm campaign and delivered Democrats their majority.

Rep. Ted Lieu set the same timetable in July, saying Democrats would pass a bill to end the Iran war on day one of the new Congress. The administration has pointed to the diplomatic track: Vance said on Monday that he and Trump “both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement”, while stressing Washington retains military and non-military options and wants a verifiable pledge that Iran will not rebuild its nuclear programme.

Why It Matters

The pledge tests whether the midterm result will change the course of the war. Democrats campaigned on the cost of the conflict and the president's broken promises of a restrained foreign policy. Analysts cited the war as one factor in the Republican losses, and Trump acknowledged this week that it had played a role, even as he stood by the decision.

A cutoff would reshape the balance between Congress and the White House. The Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of the world's seaborne oil, and the war's disruption of shipping has fed into fuel prices.

What Happens Next

Khanna intends to introduce the bill in November or December, before the new Congress is seated. Filing early lets it be debated while Democrats prepare their first legislative package, and puts the administration on notice that the funding question will be live from day one.

The practical path runs through the continuing resolution. Current stopgap funding expires soon, and Congress will need another one to keep the government open — the natural vehicle for a funding ban. Whether enough Republicans join Democrats to clear a veto-proof margin will decide whether the pledge becomes law or stays a statement of intent. Meanwhile, with Vance reporting progress and no deadline set, the coming weeks could bring a negotiated settlement — or a breakdown that makes the funding fight the new Congress's defining battle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ro Khanna proposing? A bill cutting off federal funding for the Iran war, filed in November or December 2026, plus a continuing resolution barring funds for US combat operations in Iran and ending US aid to Israel.

Can Congress end a war by cutting off its funding? Yes. Congress controls federal spending and used funding limits to wind down American involvement in Vietnam. A standalone bill can be vetoed, but Congress can also simply refuse to pass new war funding.

How much has the Iran war cost the United States? More than $47 billion so far, per Pentagon data reported on 28 October. The administration's initial March request was $200 billion.

When would the bill take effect? The new Congress convenes in January 2027, and Khanna says the fight begins on day one. The bill would be filed in November or December 2026.

Is a deal with Iran still possible? JD Vance said on Monday talks have made progress with no deadline set, while President Trump said a deal was “coming together very nicely”.

Read more: Vance: US-Iran talks making progress, no deadline; Trump team divided on Iran as strikes loom; and Europe's far right turns on Trump over Iran war.