Washington DC, 30 April (H.S.): U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth came under intense scrutiny from Congress on Wednesday as lawmakers confronted him over the escalating costs, legal authority, and conduct of the ongoing war against Iran, now estimated by the Pentagon to have consumed some $25 billion in American funds.

Making his first appearance before lawmakers since the Trump administration launched military operations against Iran in late February, Hegseth fielded withering questions from skeptical Democrats and some Republicans, while defending the conflict as a necessary response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities.

Hegseth’s congressional debut

Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran, helped build his public profile as a partisan media figure and advocate for a harder‑edged, “warrior‑oriented” military posture before being confirmed by the Senate in January 2025 as Trump’s defense secretary.

His testimony on Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee was framed as a review of the administration’s proposed 2027 military budget—projected to rise to a historic $1.5 trillion—but the Iran conflict quickly dominated the hearing.

Lawmakers pressed Hegseth on why the United States had entered the war less than a year after arguing that Iran’s nuclear facilities were already “obliterated” in 2025 strikes, questions that left several Democrats unconvinced that the administration had been candid about the rationale for hostilities.

Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the committee’s top Democrat, directly challenged Hegseth’s shifting narrative, saying the war had left the U.S. in “exactly the same place” as before, despite the heavy financial and human toll.

The Pentagon disclosed that the war has already cost roughly $25 billion, funds that Democrats argue have been spent without explicit congressional authorization for offensive operations against Iran.

Lawmakers cited soaring fuel prices linked to the U.S. naval blockade and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the economic strain on American households was undermining the administration’s pledge to lower the cost of living.

Several Democrats accused Hegseth and President Donald Trump of misleading the public about the stakes and the feasibility of a quick resolution. Rep. John Garamendi, a California Democrat, labeled the conflict a “geopolitical calamity” and a “strategic blunder,” accusing the secretary of “lying to the American public from day one.”

Hegseth hit back, accusing critics of “feckless” rhetoric that serves adversaries and insisting that the real challenge was domestic political opposition rather than battlefield setbacks.

Leadership shake‑ups and internal pushback

Wednesday’s hearing also highlighted bipartisan unease over Hegseth’s repeated personnel changes at the Pentagon, including the dismissal of several senior uniformed officers and defense officials.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, pressed Hegseth on his decision to fire Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who had been widely respected on Capitol Hill; Hegseth maintained only that “new leadership” was needed as part of his broader effort to inculcate a “warrior culture” within the Department of Defense.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska acknowledged that Hegseth had the constitutional authority to make such changes but warned that the broad bipartisan confidence once enjoyed by those officers had been eroded.

Some GOP lawmakers have also signaled that continued escalation in the Iran war could become a political litmus test for the Trump administration, especially if the conflict drags into the midterm elections.

Despite the focus on the Iran war, Hegseth used the hearing to outline broader initiatives, including proposals to increase pay for service members, replenish depleted munitions stocks, and modernize U.S. military infrastructure. He also noted that the Pentagon had released $400 million in previously appropriated military aid to Ukraine, underscoring that Washington was still balancing its commitments in Europe even as it fought a major conflict in the Middle East.

By the end of nearly six hours of testimony, however, the central takeaway was clear: Pete Hegseth remains at the epicenter of a deeply polarized debate over the Iran war—one that has already reshaped the Pentagon’s leadership, pushed U.S. defense spending to record levels, and exposed stark divisions between the Trump administration and a significant portion of Congress.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar