WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the final in a series of often combative hearings before lawmakers, who’ve pressed him on every part from a ban on transgender troops to his use of a Signal chat to share delicate army plans.
The questions — which even have touched on his firings of high army leaders and even a few of his internal circle of advisers — could also be dominated by the escalation of airstrikes between Iran and Israel that threaten a probably devastating regional conflict. However he’s nonetheless anticipated to face sharp questions on his chaotic tenure, his opposition to ladies in fight jobs and efforts to shift funding from troop housing to frame safety.
The U.S. has shifted significant numbers of refueling tanker and fighter plane to place them to have the ability to reply if wanted to the battle, corresponding to attainable evacuations or airstrikes. Hegseth stated this week that was executed to guard U.S. personnel and airbases.
“We’re postured defensively within the area to be robust in pursuit of a peace deal. And we definitely hope that’s what occurs right here,” he instructed Fox Information Channel. “And America first means we’re going to defend American personnel and American pursuits.”
Hegseth’s testimony final week in three congressional hearings additionally was taken over by occasions, with the Trump administration dispatching the National Guard and 700 active-duty Marines to the protests in Los Angeles against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wishes. It got here simply forward of a massive military parade to have fun the Military’s 250th birthday, which coincided with President Donald Trump’s birthday.
Within the earlier hearings — the place Hegseth was showing to debate the Pentagon’s spending plan — lawmakers made it clear they’re sad that Hegseth has not offered full particulars on the administration’s first proposed defense budget.
Trump has stated it could complete $1 trillion, a major improve over the present spending stage of greater than $800 billion.
Hegseth, who’s showing earlier than the Senate Armed Companies Committee on Wednesday, has spent huge quantities of time throughout his first months in workplace selling the social changes he’s making on the Pentagon. He’s been far much less seen within the administration’s extra important worldwide safety crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran.
For instance, Hegseth directed the renaming of a Navy ship that had honored Harvey Milk, a slain homosexual rights activist who served as a sailor in the course of the Korean Conflict. He additionally has touted different strikes to eradicate variety, fairness and inclusion applications and stated a ban on transgender troops in the military was a technique to regain the “warrior ethos.”
It will likely be Hegseth’s first time earlier than some senators since he squeaked through his Senate confirmation with a tie-breaking vote. It was the closest vote of any Trump Cupboard member.
Whereas he has talked rather a lot about making the army extra deadly, it was his use of the unclassified, unsecured Signal messaging app that shortly caught public consideration.
Arrange by then-national safety adviser Mike Waltz, a bunch chat that included Hegseth and different senior administration leaders was used to share information about upcoming military strikes in opposition to Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The chat got here to mild as a result of the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to it. Waltz took duty for the gaffe, however Hegseth was roundly criticized for sharing particulars concerning the army strikes in that chat and in one other one which included his spouse and brother.
The Pentagon’s watchdog is wanting into Hegseth’s use of Sign and anticipated to challenge a report quickly.
