Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced pointed criticism from Republican lawmakers during back-to-back House and Senate hearings Tuesday, with members pressing him on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran, the Pentagon's funding strategy, and the closed Strait of Hormuz. The hearings marked eleven weeks since the conflict began, with no resolution in sight for the vital shipping corridor that remains blocked.
The twin appearances before the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees revealed deep skepticism among Republicans about several aspects of the administration's defense posture. Lawmakers from both chambers pressed Hegseth on spending priorities, war costs, and whether Congress has been kept adequately informed.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican criticism focused primarily on funding mechanisms and concerns about sustaining defense priorities through the budget reconciliation process. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky warned that key programs, including the Golden Dome missile defense system, munitions production, F-35 fighter jets, and drone manufacturing, could be jeopardized if they aren't locked into annual appropriations.
"Political realities will not always allow a party-line budget reconciliation, and if the department's top priorities aren't built into annual appropriations, we're actually taking a big risk," McConnell said in his opening statement. "These key lines of effort only work if we put them on solid fiscal footing."
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma echoed concerns about relying on reconciliation to fund the Pentagon's $1.5 trillion budget request. "I don't have any concerns about the amount, ... I am worried about the ability to sustain that number through the reconciliation process, at some point the money disappears," Cole said.
Rep. Ken Calvert of California, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense, questioned whether the Pentagon's funding proposal could translate into actual battlefield improvements. "The subcommittee needs to understand how the resources requested in this budget translates into real, measurable improvements in warfighting capability," Calvert said, adding that he has "serious concerns" about the administration's method for funding.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Democrats used the hearings to press Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine for details on the Iran strategy that administration officials have declined to provide in classified settings. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut asked repeatedly about military options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, noting discrepancies between Trump's public statements and what lawmakers had heard in private briefings.
"How do we or the American public assess the success of the mission when you've stated publicly the purpose of the mission is to destroy their missile and drone capability? How do we assess whether we should continue funding this if you can't state [that]?" Murphy asked Caine during Tuesday's Senate hearing.
Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware pressed Hegseth on what he described as conflicting signals about the administration's approach to the strait, which carries roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments. When Hegseth said the U.S. "ultimately controls" the shipping corridor, Coons pushed back: "If we control it, how do we reopen it?"
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine expressed frustration with what she called shifting explanations from the Pentagon about its Iran approach. "It seems there has been a different plan almost daily with dealing with this problem," Collins said regarding the Hormuz blockade.
What the Numbers Show
The hearings produced several concrete figures worth noting. The estimated cost of the Iran conflict has risen to $29 billion, up from the $25 billion Pentagon officials quoted just weeks earlier. Acting Defense Department Chief Financial Officer Jules Hurst III attributed the increase to updated equipment repair and replacement costs as well as ongoing operational expenses.
According to intelligence assessments cited during Tuesday's hearings, Iran still retains approximately 70 percent of its missile and drone capability, despite Trump's public statement last week suggesting Tehran may have been reduced to 18 to 19 percent capacity. Caine declined to provide classified battle damage assessments in the unclassified hearing setting.
The administration is seeking $1.5 trillion for defense next fiscal year: $1.1 trillion through standard appropriations and $350 billion through budget reconciliation, a mechanism that would allow Republicans to bypass Democratic opposition in the Senate but requires navigating procedural obstacles that have already consumed two reconciliation attempts this Congress.
The Bottom Line
The hearings underscored persistent tensions between Congress and the Pentagon over both strategy and funding for the Iran operation. Republicans who broadly support increased defense spending expressed reservations about whether the administration's unconventional funding approach can deliver lasting results.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska's push for a formal war authorization vote remains stalled, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune not committing to scheduling a floor vote on her resolution that would extend beyond the 60-day War Powers Act threshold, which the conflict surpassed May 1. Hegseth told Murkowski the administration believes Trump has sufficient executive authority without congressional approval.
Lawmakers from both parties signaled they expect more transparency from the Pentagon going forward, particularly regarding the path to reopening Hormuz and the metrics by which success in Iran will be measured.