Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is fielding questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief.
In a series of hearings starting today, he being asked about his sharing of sensitive military details over a Signal chat. Hegseth was among Trump administration officials who inadvertently included a journalist for The Atlantic in a Signal app group chat where they discussed U.S. military operations in Yemen.
"Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos…Your careless sharing of military secrets in a non-secure Signal chat, which could have placed American airman in danger, led to the firing of National Security Adviser Waltz," said Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
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Democratic lawmakers have also made it clear they are unhappy that Hegseth has not provided details on the administration’s first proposed defense budget, which President Donald Trump has said would total $1 trillion.
"To carry out the president's mission, we have three core priorities, as was mentioned: Restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence," Hegseth said in response to lawmakers' concerns.
The bill includes an increase of 3.8% in basic pay for all military personnel, effective January 1, 2026. It also eliminates $3.6 billion due to the reduction of 45,000 civilian full-time equivalents.
The bill also includes approximately $13 billion for the Golden Dome for America, President Trump's proposed missile defense system.
