The assistant secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, Randall Schriver, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that the U.S. will spend an estimated $45 billion on the war in Afghanistan this year, the Hill reports.

Why it matters: The U.S. has been in Afghanistan for almost 17 years; President Trump announced a new strategy months ago, but there has been skepticism about whether or not it will force the Taliban into peace talks.