Pete Hegseth returns to Capitol Hill this week facing intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers over the cost of the Iran conflict, the legality of continued military operations without formal congressional authorization, and President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget.
The hearing arrives at a politically delicate moment for the administration as a fragile ceasefire with Iran shows signs of strain and bipartisan concerns grow over Pentagon spending priorities, troop deployments in Europe and the White House's use of executive military authority.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, lawmakers are expected to aggressively question Hegseth about the administration's handling of both the Iran war and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, while pressing for clarity on plans to reduce U.S. troop levels in Germany and Eastern Europe.
The Pentagon's acting comptroller, Jules Hurst, recently told House lawmakers that the Iran war has already cost the United States $29 billion, a sharp increase from last month's estimate of $25 billion. Hurst attributed the higher figure to "updated repair and replacement of equipment costs" and "general operational costs," according to The Independent.
The White House has publicly insisted the fighting has effectively ended. In a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Trump wrote: "There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026."
"The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump added.
Yet recent military activity has complicated that narrative. The Washington Post reported that U.S. warships intercepted Iranian attacks while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last week, prompting retaliatory American strikes on several Iranian military facilities. Trump later acknowledged the ceasefire was on "life support," signaling continued instability despite earlier declarations that the conflict had ended.
The administration's military strategy is also colliding with mounting congressional concerns over constitutional war powers. Under the War Powers Resolution, presidents must withdraw U.S. forces from military engagements lacking congressional authorization within 60 days after formally notifying lawmakers that hostilities have begun.
That deadline reportedly expired last Friday.
Several Republican senators have now publicly questioned whether the administration can continue military operations without additional authorization from Congress. According to The Washington Post, Senator John Curtis said he would oppose further Iran war funding absent a formal declaration of war.
Senator Susan Collins similarly stated Congress would need to authorize military action if the conflict extended beyond 60 days. Senator Lisa Murkowski, despite voting against a war powers resolution last week, reportedly expressed concern that Congress had still not formally approved the conflict.
At the same time, lawmakers are raising alarms about the structure of Trump's broader Pentagon funding request.
According to The Washington Post, a senior Republican Senate aide said legislators are demanding more detailed plans regarding Ukraine aid and the administration's rationale for troop reductions in Germany. The aide also reportedly warned that roughly $350 billion of the proposed defense budget would move through the Senate reconciliation process - a tactic allowing passage by simple majority but viewed by many lawmakers as politically volatile.
Critics inside Congress fear relying heavily on reconciliation could jeopardize key defense priorities, including:
- Expanding U.S. munitions production
- Modernizing weapons systems
- Strengthening the domestic defense manufacturing base
- Sustaining long-term support for NATO operations
The troop withdrawal issue has created additional friction within Trump's own party. Last week, the Pentagon announced plans to remove 5,000 American troops from Germany after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly criticized the administration's handling of Iran, saying Iranian leaders had "humiliated" the United States.
The Germany decision followed an earlier Pentagon move to withdraw a brigade from Romania, prompting objections even from senior Republicans typically aligned with the administration on defense issues.
"We strongly oppose the decision not to maintain the rotational U.S. brigade in Romania and the Pentagon's process for its ongoing force posture review that may result in further drawdowns of U.S. forces from Eastern Europe," Senators Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers said in a joint statement.
