{"id":91960,"date":"2026-05-01T00:03:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/91960\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:03:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:03:23","slug":"hegseth-clashes-for-a-second-day-with-democratic-lawmakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/91960\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth clashes for a second day with Democratic lawmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before Congress at a pair of hourslong hearings<\/a> this week for the first time since the Trump administration went to war against Iran<\/a>, with the Pentagon chief facing tough questions from skeptical Democrats.<\/p>\n

Hegseth seemed to emerge with solid Republican support over his leadership and handling of the war. But a few GOP lawmakers questioned his dismissal of a top Army general<\/a>, while some sought assurances that the Pentagon is doing everything possible to prevent civilian deaths.<\/p>\n

The hearings Wednesday and Thursday before the House and Senate Armed Services committees delved into the Trump administration\u2019s 2027 military budget proposal<\/a>, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and other Pentagon officials stressed the need for more drones<\/a>, missile defense systems and warships.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Secretary<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth takes his seat at the witness table to before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense budget, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth takes his seat at the witness table to before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense budget, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

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While Republicans focused on the details of military budgeting and voiced support for the Iran operation, Democrats grilled Hegseth about the ballooning costs of the war<\/a>, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions<\/a> and the bombing of a school that killed children<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Here are some takeaways from the hearings:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Senate<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Hegseth clashes with Democrats over strategy of the Iran war and its economic impact<\/p>\n

The hearings were the first time a member of President Donald Trump\u2019s Cabinet has defended the war publicly on Capitol Hill since it entered the conflict without congressional approval two months ago. <\/p>\n

Hegseth did not hold back in his criticism of anyone who questioned the war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,\u201d Hegseth said on Thursday as he opened the second day of hearings.<\/p>\n

He cast the conflict as a historic victory by a president who, unlike his predecessors, is backing up his tough talk on Iran. Yet even Hegseth\u2019s timeline for the war included a tacit admission that it has dragged on much longer than Trump\u2019s initial pledges of only a few weeks.<\/p>\n

Democrats relentlessly questioned Hegseth on end-goals for the war and sought to highlight the steep economic repercussions being felt through high prices for gas and other goods.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I\u2019m sad for them because you betrayed them,\u201d Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, told Hegseth as he questioned the war costs during a nearly six-hour hearing Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Sen. Jack Reed, the Senate committee\u2019s ranking Democrat, argued Thursday that the war has left the U.S. in a worse strategic position, with 13 American troops killed and more than 400 injured.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Secretary<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

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The Strait of Hormuz, a critical sea route for global oil shipments, remains closed, sending fuel prices skyrocketing. Iran still has highly enriched uranium and enough combat capabilities to keep the conflict locked in an impasse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear,\u201d Reed said. <\/p>\n

The Trump administration, meanwhile, is coming under growing pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill to find an end to the conflict, especially as a 60-day legal window expires for the president to conduct the military campaign without permission from Congress.<\/p>\n

That deadline is Friday, but Hegseth claimed that because a fragile truce is in place, \u201cthe 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, responded, \u201cI do not believe the statute would support that,\u201d adding that he had \u201cserious constitutional concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Iran war has cost $25 billion so far<\/p>\n

Pentagon officials informed lawmakers that the cost of the war to date is $25 billion, with most of that being spent on munitions. Operations and equipment repairs also have contributed to the costs.<\/p>\n

Still, that number was met with some skepticism on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have been expecting an eventual request for war funding from the White House to run closer to $100 billion.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Sen.<\/p>\n

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., questions Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. looks on during the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., questions Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. looks on during the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

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There is also concern that the bombing campaign against Iran has depleted America\u2019s supply of weapons, such as crucial missile defense systems, potentially leaving the country vulnerable if conflicts break out in other areas of the globe.<\/p>\n

Hegseth contended that the Pentagon is not in any danger of running low on munitions, yet he also blamed any challenges on President Joe Biden\u2019s decision to assist Ukraine as well as on an aging U.S. defense manufacturing industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the munitions front, we\u2019re in really good shape, but we need to accelerate,\u201d Hegseth told senators.<\/p>\n

He presented the Pentagon\u2019s budget request as vital to the goal of multiplying munition production rates and said he plans to bolster the industry so that it can quickly replace any munitions used in the Iran war.<\/p>\n

The budget request would amount to a record boost to defense spending that would increase the Pentagon\u2019s budget by over 40% from the previous year.<\/p>\n

Pentagon firings rankle Democrats and some Republicans <\/p>\n

The defense secretary faced intense questions from Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, about his decision to oust the Army\u2019s top uniformed officer<\/a>, Gen. Randy George, one of several top military officers to be dismissed since Trump took office again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Secretary<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Cliff Owen)<\/p>\n

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Houlahan said George was deeply respected by members of the military and Congress and asked why Hegseth fired him. Hegseth\u2019s response that \u201cnew leadership\u201d was needed failed to satisfy her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men,\u201d Houlahan began, before Hegseth interrupted her. \u201cWe needed new leadership,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa also spoke out about George, saying she was \u201cdisappointed\u201d to see his retirement \u201chastened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ernst said George \u201cpulled the Army out of its worst recruiting crisis since the Vietnam era\u201d and trimmed \u201cnonessential\u201d positions. George had held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had 38 years of honorable service. He achieved the greatest Army recruitment and modernization effort in a generation,\u201d Ernst said.<\/p>\n

Bombing of Iranian school still under investigation <\/p>\n

Hegseth told lawmakers in the House that a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed more than 165 people, including many children, is an \u201cunfortunate situation\u201d that is still under investigation.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press has reported<\/a> there was growing evidence<\/a> that pointed to U.S. culpability for the Feb. 28 strike, which hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Iran. Experts, citing satellite image analysis, said the school was probably struck as bombs were dropped on the compound in quick succession.<\/p>\n

Senators wanted to know what the Pentagon is doing to prevent deaths of civilians. <\/p>\n

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York asked Hegseth: \u201cWhat is your response to targeting that has resulted in the destruction of schools, hospitals, civilian places? Why did you cut by 90% the division that\u2019s supposed to help you not target civilians?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth responded that the Pentagon has an \u201cironclad commitment\u201d to do more than other countries to prevent civilian deaths. ___<\/p>\n

Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before Congress at a pair of hourslong hearings this week…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91961,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[325,32472,11249,4734,38,197,34,196,32471,802,3090,768,772,81,20044,3821,1913,1911,1696,1865,51,323,200,771],"class_list":{"0":"post-91960","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-iran","8":"tag-ap-top-news","9":"tag-chrissy-houlahan","10":"tag-dc-wire","11":"tag-district-of-columbia","12":"tag-donald-trump","13":"tag-general-news","14":"tag-iran","15":"tag-iran-war","16":"tag-jack-reed","17":"tag-joe-biden","18":"tag-joni-ernst","19":"tag-military-and-defense","20":"tag-pete-hegseth","21":"tag-politics","22":"tag-randy-george","23":"tag-ro-khanna","24":"tag-tim-kaine","25":"tag-u-s-democratic-party","26":"tag-u-s-department-of-defense","27":"tag-u-s-republican-party","28":"tag-united-states","29":"tag-united-states-government","30":"tag-war-and-unrest","31":"tag-washington-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116496394151263242","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}