US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp questions and repeated protests at a Senate hearing on Tuesday as he defended the Trump administration's war with Iran and a fresh request for billions of dollars in funding. At the hearing, Hegseth said the conflict has so far cost USD 37.5 billion, a higher figure than earlier estimates.

The combative hearing came as Republicans move ahead with a USD 95 billion package for the military and other White House priorities. It also followed the Pentagon's announcement that three more American service members had died in the conflict, taking the death toll to 17, while more than 100 have been injured since early July.

Hegseth told senators the supplemental war funding was an "urgent, necessary" injection of money and described President Donald Trump's proposed USD 1.5 trillion defence budget as a generational investment in the military. "Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls," he said. But Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, warned of "another forever war" and said, "This war is now spiralling out of control again." Referring to Trump's repeated claims, she said: "a deal is near, and the war will be over soon," but added, "But now, he's asking for USD 70 billion more - and for us to just trust him it'll all work out fine."

Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also appeared before the committee. The proposed package includes USD 60 billion for the war, USD 12 billion for other national security needs, USD 10 billion for farm aid and USD 10 billion for voting law changes. Before the hearing, the White House issued a statement urging support for the budget resolution "without modification - immediately".

War funding forms the biggest part of the Republican proposal, which the party wants to push before lawmakers leave to campaign for the midterm elections. The package is also aimed at helping farmers affected by Trump's tariffs and paying for voting law changes, without offsets. According to an AP-NORC poll, most Americans still disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran. Gas prices have risen as Iran tries to control oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, US munitions are running low because of American missile strikes, and Trump has moved away from his campaign promise not to involve the US in prolonged military conflicts.

Even so, Trump has shown no sign of stepping back, and Republicans have mostly avoided challenging his strategy or using Congress' spending and war powers to stop the conflict. House Speaker Mike Johnson said at his weekly press conference: "The commander in chief and the whole Department of War are working very hard to bring this to a resolution."

Hegseth was also questioned over his leadership of the Pentagon. Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the committee, opened the hearing by saying it was "deeply troubling" that the department had blocked or denied promotions to several officers, especially women and minorities. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen asked why Hegseth was seeking more money when the department had yet to spend about half of the USD 150 billion that Republicans gave the Pentagon in last year's major budget bill. "Why are you asking the American people to absorb the cost of a war they don't support?" Shaheen asked. When Hegseth began talking about the "historic nature" of Trump's military strategy, she cut him off. He later said the remaining money from last year's package would be spent by September.

When Republican Senator Mike Rounds asked whether the new request would be enough to "get the job done", Caine avoided giving a direct figure. "I can't answer the question on what it will cost, because the enemy has a vote," he said. Later, Republican Senator John Kennedy pressed officials over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and asked whether Iran would impose tolls on what has historically been an open waterway crucial to oil flows. Caine replied, "That's a hypothetical question, and I don't know the answer to that." Kennedy responded, "Guys, we need straight answers."

Tensions rose further near the end of the hearing, which lasted more than three hours. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told Hegseth that his claims about the war did not add up and asked whether the US had obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities or not. Hegseth replied, "We're staying laser-focused on the objective," and added, "and you're trying to make campaign commercials." Senator Jon Ossoff also questioned Hegseth's past assessments of the war, including his claims about Iran's surrender.

The sharpest exchange came when Democratic Senator Gary Peters said the administration's war strategy had been a complete "failure". Hegseth shot back: "Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure." Peters replied, "You, sir, are the failure." He said US troops were not failing, but their leaders were. "You don't have a strategy," Peters said. "You don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war." Hegseth then accused Democrats of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and said they would not give him the money he needed. Peters answered that the issue was not money, "but a question of leadership." The Senate is due to consider another war powers resolution this week after voting nearly a dozen times in attempts to halt the conflict.

Republicans are expected to move the budget package through the reconciliation process, allowing them to pass it without Democratic support. It is the same process they used for Trump's large tax cuts bill last summer and for Homeland Security funding earlier this year. The plan is headed for a House vote this week to begin drafting the legislation. Johnson can afford only a small number of defections from his narrow majority, while some conservatives want the funding matched by spending cuts elsewhere. Republican senators have so far criticised the House budget plan, but are waiting to see whether Johnson can get the process moving. In sum, the hearing brought together the growing cost of the Iran war, rising political pressure on the administration and a Republican push to secure more funding despite strong Democratic objections.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends

Published By:

India Today Web Desk

Published On:

Jul 22, 2026 06:20 IST