Louisiana Sen. Kennedy questions Hegseth on Iran war decisions
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s sweeping proposal for a record-setting military budget on Tuesday as lawmakers from both parties pressed Pentagon leaders over the growing cost and uncertain trajectory of the conflict with Iran. Appearing before House and Senate committees on Capitol Hill, Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine asked Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion defense budget — a more than 50 percent increase over current spending levels. The hearings came as the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared increasingly unstable. President Trump acknowledged Monday the agreement was “on massive life support,” fueling bipartisan concerns about whether the conflict is truly winding down. “We have so many questions, Mr. Secretary, about this budget proposal,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) told the Pentagon leaders during the Senate hearing. Hegseth argued the administration’s proposal reflects what he described as an urgent need to rebuild and modernize the U.S. military amid growing global threats. “Urgency informs everything we do at this Department,” Hegseth said during the House hearing. “We are rebuilding a military that the American people can be proud of.” The proposal includes $65 billion for the Navy’s “Golden Fleet” initiative, aimed at building a new class of Trump-branded battleships, along with another $20 billion for the “Golden Dome” missile defense system. Additional supplemental funding would help pay for military operations connected to the ongoing Iran conflict. Critics argued spending money on new battleships is an outdated approach, arguing resources need to be focused on combating drone warfare. Lawmakers also questioned both the size of the request and the administration’s legal justification for expanding military operations in Iran without direct congressional authorization. “When the president says hostilities have ended... it doesn’t appear that hostilities have ended,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski pointed out. Hegseth defended the administration’s actions, arguing President Trump has sufficient constitutional authority under Article II to conduct military operations without additional approval from Congress. “I think the president — our view is he has all the authorities he needs under Article II to execute,” Hegseth explained. Defense Department Acting Comptroller Jules Hurst also revealed the estimated cost of the Iran conflict has climbed from $25 billion to $29 billion due to rising operational and equipment replacement expenses. Despite sharp questioning, Tuesday’s hearings remained notably more restrained than last month’s contentious exchanges on Capitol Hill. Still, a growing number of Republicans joined Democrats in raising concerns about the administration’s long-term Iran strategy, the timeline for ending hostilities, and the mounting financial burden of the conflict. _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: WWMT on Facebook: WWMT on Twitter: Subscribe to WWMT on YouTube: WWMT Daily News Digest: For more information, Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 800.875.3333 WWMT is a MI based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #WWMT #NEWSCHANNEL3 #Kalamazoo #Michigan