U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) is supporting the reconciliation package that advanced in the House Budget Committee Thursday, despite it being scaled back from what was originally envisioned.

The $95 billion reconciliation framework includes $73 billion for defense and intelligence funding, $12 billion for agriculture aid, and $10 billion for a fund to encourage election integrity reforms.

Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Service Committee, said it would be “irresponsible” to vote against the measure when America is currently conducting military operations against Iran.

“This money, we got to backfill the hole that’s been created with our munitions stockpile problem, and in the operations in Venezuela, in Iran,” Roger said. “If we don’t get this money, there is going to be a very large hole in this year’s spending package that has got to be filled.”

President Donald Trump originally wanted $350 billion for the military, but Republican leaders cut that number down to give it a better chance of passing.

“Assuming we get this $60 billion and we don’t get the balance of that $350 billion, that leaves about $190 billion must-haves that I don’t know how I’m going to deal with,” Rogers added. “But as Peter King used to say, ‘I’ll jump off that bridge when I get to it.’’

Rogers and other Republicans are hoping to pass this reconciliation bill soon, and then try to pass more funding later after the midterm elections.

The reconciliation process bypasses the need to get 60 votes in the Senate, which means Republicans could pass it without Democratic support.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee