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Numbers of the Day May 12, 2026 · 3:23 pm ET Source: NYT Politics

$29 Billion, No Appropriations Request, No Answer

$29B
Pentagon's Iran war cost estimate — up $4B in two weeks

The Constitution vests the power of the purse in Congress, not the executive — Article I, Section 9, no money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Secretary Hegseth declined to say when, or whether, the administration will formally request those funds, continuing a pattern that dates at least to the Korean War, when Truman committed troops and expenditures faster than Congress was asked to authorize them. The difference is that Congress eventually pushed back in 1951; the open question today is whether it will.

Source: NYT Politics · link AppropriationsIranExecutiveRuleofLaw
Brief 6d ago

18 Cents Won't Save You From a $4.50 Tank

Source: NYT Politics ArticleIAppropriationsEconomy
Brief 5d ago

18 Cents Off, Half a Billion a Week, Zero Votes

Source: CBS News Politics EconomyAffordabilityAppropriations
Brief 4d ago

51-45: Trump Locks In His Fed Chair

Source: CBS News Politics EconomyExecutiveMonetaryPolicy