The latest price tag shows a $3.5 billion increase in spending in the US since the beginning of September, when this figure was about $43.6 billion. " —. Democrat-Gazette, October 29, 2026 ᅠ The cost increases by 3.5 billion dollars every six weeks. This is not a short and sharp campaign; It is a fiscal black hole that drains American resources and threatens to hurt Republicans at the ballot box. ᅠ Subscribe to CSOFT Media for more information on the changing strategic landscape in West Asia.