Ten Democratic lawmakers have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accusing the Trump administration of violating federal law by defunding and impeding civilian protection efforts as U.S. military operations in Yemen and Iran have resulted in dozens of noncombatant deaths.
The joint letter, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., cited a recent Defense Department inspector general report that described civilian harm mitigation and response efforts as largely inactive. Lawmakers argued the dismantling of these programs represents a leadership failure that endangers service members and undermines the military's moral standing.
What the Left Is Saying
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the gutting of civilian protection programs directly contradicts congressionally mandated requirements established in 2022. The lawmakers wrote that the administration has "potentially in violation of federal law" cut funding to initiatives designed to reduce civilian casualties during U.S. military operations, a problem spanning multiple administrations since the post-9/11 wars.
The letter was signed by three military veterans: Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado. The lawmakers argued that abandoning civilian protection frameworks makes American service members less safe by fueling militant recruitment efforts.
"The Trump administration's military adventurism overseas, combined with its obvious disregard for civilians, do not make the American people or our service members safer," the 10 Democrats wrote in their letter to Hegseth. They requested responses to 20 questions about CHMR staffing and funding levels by July 9, including explanations for why the department was uncooperative with the inspector general's inquiry.
What the Right Is Saying
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has repeatedly expressed support for what he calls a "lethality" doctrine, arguing that restrictions on military operations create hindrances to combat forces. Conservative defense analysts say more aggressive U.S. action is necessary given escalating threats from terrorist groups and Iranian-aligned militias across Africa and the Middle East.
Supporters of the administration's approach argue that civilian harm mitigation programs added bureaucratic layers without meaningfully reducing casualties in practice. They contend that accelerating operational tempo against adversaries who use human shields requires fewer constraints, not more oversight mechanisms.
Former national security officials have noted that militant organizations exploit civilian casualty incidents for propaganda purposes, a dynamic that some conservative strategists argue argues for decisive action rather than extended review processes before strikes.
What the Numbers Show
According to current and former CHMR personnel cited by ProPublica, the civilian protection mission was reduced by approximately 90% under Hegseth's leadership, leaving only a handful of staff members to monitor harm issues as strike operations accelerated across Africa and the Middle East.
The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, established through congressional mandate in 2022, aimed to embed prevention specialists within targeting teams. By spring 2025, when U.S. operations in Yemen reportedly killed dozens of civilians, the CHMR mission was being dismantled according to current and former staffers.
In Iran, over 150 students and staff were killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school adjacent to a military compound in Minab. Open-source investigations surfaced video showing a U.S.-made Tomahawk missile was likely responsible. The Washington Post reported that the school "may have been mistaken for a military site."
The Bottom Line
The lawmakers are demanding answers by July 9 regarding current CHMR staffing levels, funding allocations and cooperation with oversight investigators. A Pentagon spokesperson said the department would respond directly to congressional correspondence but declined to answer additional questions.
Current and former CHMR personnel told ProPublica it remains unclear whether a more robust prevention team could have prevented casualties in Yemen and Iran. However, they said the program provided transparency mechanisms and immediate inquiry capabilities into civilian deaths that are now absent from the military's operational framework.