Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to field questions from members of Congress about his tumultuous start as Pentagon chief.
In a series of hearings starting today, he is likely to be 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.
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Democratic lawmakers have also made it clear they are unhappy that Hegseth has not provided details on the administrations first proposed defense budget, which President Donald Trump has said would total $1 trillion.
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.
This will be members’ first chance to ask about a myriad of other controversial spending issues at the Pentagon.
