Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made his first appearance before Congress since the Trump administration went to war with Iran, delivering combative testimony across two days of hearings before the House and Senate Armed Services committees. The sessions, held Wednesday and Thursday, were the first time a member of the president’s Cabinet publicly defended the conflict on Capitol Hill.
Hegseth opened the second day by attacking critics. “The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” he said. He portrayed the war as a historic affirmation of President Donald Trump’s willingness to back up tough talk, even as he acknowledged the conflict had already extended beyond the administration’s initial pledges of a brief campaign.
Democrats pressed Hegseth relentlessly on the war’s human and financial costs. Pentagon officials disclosed that the conflict has cost $25 billion so far, nearly all of it on munitions and operational repairs. That figure drew skepticism from lawmakers who had expected a much larger supplemental request. Hegseth insisted the military was not running low on weapons, but blamed any shortfalls on the Biden administration’s past support for Ukraine and an aging domestic defense industry. The budget he presented — a $1.5 trillion request, more than 40% above the previous year — is intended to multiply munition production rates and rebuild the stockpiles.
Civilian casualties also dominated the questioning. Hegseth confirmed that a Feb. 28 strike on an elementary school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Iran, which killed more than 165 people including children, remains under investigation. He called the strike “an unfortunate situation” and said the Pentagon has an “ironclad commitment” to do more than other countries to prevent civilian deaths. The Associated Press has reported growing evidence of U.S. culpability, citing satellite imagery analysis suggesting that the school was hit as bombs were dropped on the compound in quick succession. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., asked pointedly why a Pentagon division meant to protect civilians had been cut by 90%. Hegseth offered no direct answer.
The firing of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who had served since August 2023, prompted rare Republican criticism. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa said she was “disappointed” to see George’s retirement “hastened,” noting he had pulled the Army out of its worst recruiting crisis in a generation and led modernization efforts. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., demanded an explanation; Hegseth could only repeat that “new leadership” was needed.
The hearings unfolded as a 60-day War Powers clock ticked toward a Friday deadline, beyond which the president must obtain congressional approval to continue military operations. Hegseth argued that a fragile ceasefire pauses the clock. “The 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire,” he said. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., rejected that analysis: “I do not believe the statute would support that,” he said, adding he had “serious constitutional concerns.”
Thirteen American troops have been killed and more than 400 injured since the conflict began, Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate panel, noted. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, fuel prices have spiked, and Iran retains enough highly enriched uranium and combat capability to maintain a military impasse. Reed told Hegseth, “I am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., was more blunt during the nearly six-hour House session: “I’m sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I’m sad for them because you betrayed them,” he said, pointing to the war’s ballooning costs and economic fallout.