- 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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