- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested an “urgent, necessary injection” of $67 billion for the U.S. military, which would increase the Defense Department’s budget to $1.5 trillion, during a contentious Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.
- Hegseth faced intense questioning from senators regarding the growing costs of the Iran war, now estimated at $37.5 billion, and the lack of a clear strategy to end the conflict, which has resulted in 18 American troop deaths and over 400 injuries.
- Senators criticized Hegseth's leadership, calling him a "failure," and questioned why he needed additional funds when the Pentagon had not spent half of the $150 billion appropriated last year, noting that some requested items were unrelated to the war in Iran.
- Hegseth defended his request by stating that not approving the supplemental budget was "the greatest threat our nation faces" and accused Democratic senators of "partisan politics" and " Trump Derangement Syndrome" for not funding the troops.
- He also attributed the military's struggles to "gross negligence and neglect" under the Biden administration, while senators countered that Hegseth was responsible for the war he started and lacked a long-term plan.
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