WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to undergo fresh scrutiny from lawmakers on Tuesday regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran. Even some Republicans have voiced unease about the war’s duration and the absence of formal congressional authorization.
The influential House and Senate subcommittees responsible for defense spending will conduct consecutive hearings to examine the Trump administration’s proposed military budget for 2027, which seeks an unprecedented $1.5 trillion in funding. However, discussions are likely to shift focus towards the management of a conflict that remains at a standstill, as escalating fuel prices create political challenges for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.
President Donald Trump is grappling with mounting economic pressures after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime passage through which 20% of the world’s oil is transported. In response, the U.S. military has blockaded Iranian ports, leading to exchanges of fire between the two nations. American forces have thwarted attacks on their naval vessels and disrupted oil tankers associated with Tehran.
On Monday, Trump remarked that the ceasefire is on “massive life support” and criticized Iran’s latest proposal, emphasizing his demands for Iran to drastically curtail its nuclear activities.
“I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us,” Trump stated.
The Republican president also said he wanted to suspend the federal gas tax to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices. He has previously said higher costs are worth it to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Tuesday’s hearings will give a mostly new group of lawmakers the chance to grill or applaud Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the planning and execution of the war.
That includes Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican whose reelection this year is far from guaranteed. She voted with Democrats on an effort to halt the conflict late last month, saying she wants to see a defined strategy for bringing the war to a close.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another Republican on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, has voted against the string of unsuccessful war powers resolutions but spoken of the need for congressional authorization so Americans will know the war’s limits and objectives.
Hegseth and Caine had faced marathon hearings two weeks ago before the House and Senate Armed Services committees, which mostly traced the well-worn positions of both parties.
In the previous hearings, Hegseth notably said the ceasefire paused a 60-day deadline for congressional approval of the war, which is required under the 1973 War Powers Act. The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, while the fragile truce began April 8.
Hegseth’s reasoning faced pushback from Democrats and will likely encounter similar criticism Tuesday. But he will face plenty of friendly Republicans, including the Senate subcommittee’s chair, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and perhaps the Iran war’s biggest booster in Congress, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Hegseth and Caine are expected to outline the proposed defense budget and stress the need for more drones, warships and missile defense systems whose stocks have been drawn down during the conflict.