US NEWS Live: Hegseth Under Fire! $25 Billion Iran War Bombshell, Democrats Scream 'False Claims!'

[00:00:00]and hostile countries for our f food food and our fuel. Our freedom is in jeopardy. Since my first day at USDA, we have been committed to addressing this crisis headon. In addition to implementing the historic working families tax cuts, thanks to uh so many in this room who worked so hard moving 40 billion in disaster and economic assistance to producers across the country, securing 19 new trade deals, and decreasing that $50 billion agricultural trade deficit in one year by 42%.

[00:00:34]This year, our corn exports are expected to be at a record-breaking 35%, ethanol up 11%, dairy up 15%, and tree nuts up 11%. We are making progress, but we have a ways to go. Administrator Zelden has secured the strongest renewable fuel standard volumes in history, and the president continues to support yearround E15 for our domestic markets. We have led robust responses to animal health threats, including HPAI and the New World Screworm, and have reduced unnecessary regulatory burdens and partnered with producers to strengthen the domestic demand for American agriculture. These are lasting reforms and will change the trajectory of American agriculture for the future. The trade agreements will take time to fully execute and generate even more exports.

[00:01:26]The bofuel investments take time to increase the demand for American crops, although we're already seeing a 10% increase since just an announcement a month ago. And of course, onshoring facilities like fertilizer will continue to take some time to build out. But we are confident that the direction of American agriculture is changing for the better, but many producers continue to face economic pressure as we build that economic infrastructure out. Specialty crop growers across the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Florida suffered devastating freeze losses this past winter. Producers across the plains continue recovering from catastrophic wildfire and events occurring while many operations are still working to catch up financially.

[00:02:14]That is why our proposed uh proposal includes 10 billion in temporary economic assistance for 2026 rowcrop and specialty crop producers and also includes 1.1 billion to help producers recover from catastrophic freeze losses suffered this past winter. Congress has taken similar action over many decades and we're so grateful for that. but including most recently 2023 and 2024 with economic aid and disaster relief aid with the hurricane seasons. I want to be 100% clear as I close. For the sake of American national security, American existence and the American future, we must in the long run end this system that has grown up like a weed and strangle the American farmland and food production. Farmers want to farm for their products, not for a government check. They want to be free from dependency and free to innovate. We know what happens when they are able to do that. They build and feed the greatest republic in the history of man. But when they aren't, well, we know the danger that we are in today. But that's why this supplemental is so important. It provides a bridge and extends a hand to Americans who need it. It buys the nation the security that we need. and advises time to deconstruct and then reconstruct a new system, putting our farmers and ranchers first and to restore the system that originally made America great. For our farmers, the defense of American freedom continues.

[00:03:46]They only ask to be free to fight. Thank you so much. Thank you for your testimony. We will now begin with questions for our witnesses. As you can see, we have a very full attendance of committee members today. So, I would ask that all of our colleagues to please keep track of that they have the tools, the training, and the support that they need to accomplish their missions.

[00:04:18]On the topic of our service members, I would be remiss if I did note that since January of last year, the department has removed a number of senior generals and admirals from their positions, blocked or altered promotion lists across multiple services, and intervened in several senior assignments. ments. A recent New York Times story reported that about 40 senior officers were removed from promotion lists and more than two dozen generals and admirals were fired or sidelined, including Admiral Lisa Franetti, the first woman to lead the Navy. The Times further reports that more than half of those fired or removed have been female or black and that for the first time in more than a decade, no active duty female naval officers are likely to be promoted to admiral. I find this deeply troubling.

[00:05:41]These are men and women who volunteered to serve our country and swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution.

[00:05:51]Over the course of their careers, they have earned the support and the trust of their commanders and subordinates, led our men and women in uniform, and were selected through rigorous command and promotion boards. They have served under presidents and defense secretaries from both parties.

[00:06:19]Reports that women and people of color are disproportionately fired or sidelined create the impression that their service is not valued. This is likely to discourage well-qualified women and individuals of color from joining our armed forces, thus depriving us of their talent, dedication, and patriotism.

[00:06:48]The United States military is one of the greatest meritocracies in the free world. We need to make sure that it stays that way. I now recognize Vice President Murray for her opening statement.

[00:07:08]Thank you very much, Chair Collins, and thank you to all of our witnesses who are here today. I first do want to acknowledge the loss of one of our colleagues on this dis like so many, I was very shocked and saddened to learn of Senator Graham's passing. We disagreed on many issues, but there was no denying the energy that Lindsay brought to this job. And whenever we could, we found common ground and managed to get something done. So, I just wanted to express that my heart goes out to his family, friends, and loved ones today.

[00:07:41]Now, I want to start with a few facts.

[00:07:44]143 days ago, President Trump started a war of his own choosing with Iran. He did not consult Congress. He did not get authorization from Congress. He did not build a coalition of allies. He did not make a case to the American people. Nor did he ever win their support. Twothirds of Americans opposed the war. And the president's decision had catastrophic costs. 17 American service members have now died. That includes three who tragically lost their lives over the last few days, and another is still missing.

[00:08:21]Se several hundred more have been injured, including nearly a hundred who've been hurt just in the last few weeks. We owe all of them and their families a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. Thousands of civilians have also been killed, and this administration will not tell the public or Congress the true financial costs of this war. But we know it is very well into the tens of billions of dollars, tax dollars. we could have spent helping people afford health care or building new housing have now been lit on fire by a president who blundered us into a disastrous war. And the cost to families bank accounts are staggering. Economic growth has slowed to a crawl. Inflation has shot up about 50% since this war began. On average, gas costs just under $3 on February 28th. Today it is over $4 and ticking back up with the straight closed again. Americans have now paid more than $70 billion more on gas since this war began. That is over $550 more per household. Fertilizer costs skyrocketed in the middle of spring planting, crushing farmers operating on extremely thin margins and costing families more on just about everything they buy at the grocery store. The costs of this war have been astronomical. And what it is, what has it been for? What has actually been achieved? We hear a different rationale for this war every few days. It was about preempting imminent threats, which we now know did not exist. It was about regime change, then liberating the Iranian people. It was about destroying Iran's nuclear program and its navy. And at one point it was about taking out its ballistic missiles until that is until the president decided that actually and I quote it's a little bit unfair for them not to have some. Trump has even suggested the wars about taking Iran's oil to quote make a fortune. And now the United States primary strategic objective seems to be to actually just reopen the straight of Hormuz, which of course was fully open toll-free before this war began. President Trump has by any objective measure failed to achieve his goals. Our country is no safer or better off than before the war. In fact, we are considerably less safe. Our stock piles have been depleted and it will take years of production to fully replenish them, no matter how much money is thrown at this problem. Our global force posture is much weaker and as assets have been moved now to the Middle East. And we are now much further away from a long-term solution to halt Iran's nuclear program than we were before Trump ripped up the deal that President Obama negotiated, which secured actual, measurable commitments and progress without ever starting a costly war. In fact, there are new reports that Iran may have moved nuclear assets into a mountain bunker, which raises concerns about whether Iran might restart its program. It used to be a pretty soomber and serious thing, a president taking America to war and costing lives and taxpayer dollars. But this president has been downright flippant. The people I represent worry Trump thinks this is all a game and has sent men and women into harm's way without any sort of plan. And now that he's driven that car into the ditch, he wants taxpayers to bail him out. As the daughter of a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, the way this White House has blissfully operated with no plan for success is disrespectful to our men and women in uniform. These are patriots. They are highly trained and have sacrificed tremendously to keep us safe. They shouldn't be forced to put a show on for the president's birthday parade or do the job of border patrol agents or risk their lives in a disastrous war that the president clearly failed to think through. And as a US senator, this administration's refusal to explain what it is doing or how this war is protecting Americans, its refusal to seek authorization from Congress, and its expectation that Americans will now just pay for it all without any explanation or transparency is disrespectful, and it's insulting to the people back home that all of us represent. So, here we are 5 months later. The strait is closed. The ceasefire hasn't just disintegrated.

[00:13:08]This this war is now spiraling out of control again. The president is threatening escalation and war crimes and suggesting this could be another forever war. He has told us over 40 times now that a deal is near and the war will be over soon. But now he is asking for $70 billion more and for us to just trust him, it'll work out fine.

[00:13:34]Look, I've been very clear. My Democratic colleagues and I will do absolutely everything to ensure that we do take care of our service members and keep this country safe. Chairman Kaine, I hope you know that every Democrat on this committee deeply respects the sacrifices that you and our service members and their [clears throat] families are making.

[00:13:55]Everyone who signed up to serve our country deserves to be more than an afterthought in a war that the president decided to launch despite all the blinking red warnings. But my colleagues and I cannot and will not support rubber stamping our request to bankroll this war and whatever other misadventures Trump wants to get us into next. The American people want to see a quick and strategic end to this war, not $70 billion of their tax dollars sent to keep it going. I want to make a few important points. First, the president's request is not even a primarily a primarily a request to cover the costs of the Iran war. This request is chock full of asks to fund unrelated DoD priorities which should be considered through our annual appropriations process, not in an emergency supplemental. And that includes almost a billion dollars for Southcom, nearly a billion dollars to keep deploying the National Guard here in DC and more than a billion dollars for the southern southern border. Secondly, President Trump is making this request as the Pentagon has a recordbreaking $1 trillion total budget for FY26, including over 75 billion. It is it has an unspent money from Republicans big ugly bill. understand you may have mismanaged your budget, Secretary Hakeith, but you have to do your due diligence to fix the cash flow problems you've caused before asking taxpayers for more. Third, that the president is now asking for all of us to approve tens of billions of dollars in new funding for the war while his administration still has yet to share actual cost estimates, essential information to justify this request and a plan for where on earth this conflict goes next.

[00:15:55]This administration is either hiding the truth from Congress and the American people or if you take at face value what they've said and in the few briefings that we've had, they have no idea what is going on and no plan to write the ship. Neither of which is acceptable.

[00:16:11]Now, Trump is also asking Congress for over $10 billion to help struggling American farmers who have been crushed first by the tariffs and then by this war which has shot fertilizer and diesel costs through the roof. I'm digging into that request, but let me be clear. As we're looking at what farmers might need to weather Trump's storm, we must also help families put food on the table. And to do that, we should delay and ultimately reverse Republicans deep cuts to SNAP, which have already kicked at least 1 million kids off of food assistance.

[00:16:47]Finally, Trump has also requested, and I had to read this one twice to believe, $1.3 billion dollar in new funding for the State Department for global health and humanitarian needs. At the very same time, his administration is withholding more than twice that amount in funding that has already been signed into law and is available for the same purpose.

[00:17:10]He's also asking for authorities to make US taxpayer dollars subsidize the Venezuelan oil industry and to finance the establishment of private investment funds like the one he just handed over to one of his ballroom donors.

[00:17:24]Unfortunately, Secretary Rubio is not here with us today to explain those requests, to talk about how this war forced one of the largest evacuations of our diplomatic posts ever, or to explain whether as a national security adviser, he still thinks this war is quote the right decision and whether he still still quote believes in it strongly. So, this is really a request to make taxpayers pay for the president's reckless decisions from the Iran war to his trade wars to his global health cuts. All while doing nothing to help our families back home who are suffering because of those decisions. And that that is what we should be focused on, helping people. Because as Senator Padilla and others on both sides of the aisle will tell us shortly, there are urgent domestic needs that we should be addressing instead of sending more money for Trump to drop bombs overseas.

[00:18:16]Priorities like disaster relief for our communities that have ra been ravaged by the unthinkable or taking action to lower families costs. You know what's a crisis right now? the fact that there are families I hear from back home who are working full-time and still being forced to decide whether to skip meals so they finally can buy their kids a pair of shoes. You know what's a crisis?

[00:18:38]The fact that hospitals are shutting down and kids are going hungry because of Republicans cuts. Instead of bankrolling the president's war or sending ICE $70 billion, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle could work with us to quadruple our investments to cure cancer or help families afford child care or help them afford to cool their homes. Those are policy choices and Republican leadership has chosen to focus on funding war and ICE endlessly without a single scent for our American families. So, let me close with this. This president says we can afford can't afford health care. We can't afford child care. We can't afford housing. But somehow we can always afford another war. No price tag on that. Families in Washington state are skipping doctor's visits so they can afford groceries. Trump wants to Congress to cut him a blank check for a war that no one supports. The American people entrust us to spend their taxpayer dollars strategically and thoughtfully. This is a huge responsibility. So, let me be clear. I'm ready to work with my colleagues in a bipartisan way, as always, to address the needs of our nation and the American people. But I hope we can have real conversations about why there seems to always be money for Trump's wars, but never money for the families back home who are desperate for a little relief.

[00:20:02]So, I look forward to today's discussion. Thank you. I will now introduce our first panel of witnesses.

[00:20:10]Today we're going to be hearing first from our colleagues, Senator Mike Browns of South Dakota, Senator Ted Bud of North Carolina, and Senator Alex Padilla of California. I welcome all of you and Senator RS will begin with you first.

[00:20:33]>> Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to highlight why food security and national security go hand in hand. I'd also like to thank the Trump administration for recognizing that input pressures have made it more difficult for American farmers to support their own operations.

[00:20:54]In South Dakota, farming and ranching is more than a job. It's a way of life built on hard work, stewardship, and the hope of leaving the land better for the next generation. Feeding and fueling the world has never been easy. Producers continue showing up year after year despite drought, floods, disease, pests, volatile markets, and other challenges beyond their control. This supplemental funding request comes at a critical time. Farmers and ranchers are facing production costs that exceed market returns. Higher fertilizer, diesel fuel, seed, equipment, and crop protection costs coupled with retaliatory trade practices and continued market uncertainty have put enormous finan have put enormous financial pressure on producers. Specifically, the projected loss per acre across the country in 2026 for corn is $131.

[00:21:53]For cotton, $342.

[00:21:57]For wheat, $114, and for soybeans, $80.

[00:22:03]While we work to strengthen America's ability to produce more of what we need here at home and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, Congress should provide stability so producers can remain in business and continue producing the best food and fuel in the world. Today's threats extend well beyond weather and markets. Foreign adversaries, cyber threats, industry consolidation, arbitrary standards, and unfair trade practices impact farmers ability to produce food, fiber, and fuel. Food security, energy security, and national security are connected. We also have an opportunity to strengthen both agriculture and energy security by permanently authorizing voluntary access to nationwide yearround sales of E15, giving consumers the option to choose a higher ethanol blend would increase domestic fuel production, expand markets for corn growers, reduce reliance on foreign energy sources, and provide families with lower cost options at the pump. Given the significant defense investments included in this supplemental, I also want to emphasize the importance of fully funding our national defense. We are living in one of the most complex and lethal threat environments since the Second World War.

[00:23:28]And the brave men and women who volunteer to defend this country deserve the leadership, training, and equipment along with resources necessary to maintain America's military advantage.

[00:23:43]Protecting America's food supply, energy supply, and national defense are not separate priorities. They reinforce one another. This supplemental provides needed assistance to help farm and ranch families endure today's economic challenges while Congress and the administration continue advancing long-term policies that strengthen American agriculture. I urge my colleagues to support this supplemental request to provide stability to our egg producers at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:24:20]>> Thank you, Senator Browns, Senator Bud, >> Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify this afternoon to provide a voice for the people in western North Carolina. More than 21 months ago, Hurricane Helen unleashed an unprecedented amount of rainfall on the Blue Ridge Mountains, causing severe flooding and devastating landslides. The storm left behind tens of billions in damage. In December 2024, Congress responded by approving a disaster supplemental that provided billions of dollars to western North Carolina recovery. Additionally, North Carolina's state government stepped up by committing roughly $2.4 4 billion in state appropriations and redirecting more than $2 billion from state agencies for reconstruction.

[00:25:12]But the Blue Ridge Mountains challenging terrain has made it uniquely difficult for federal programs to operate, resulting in delays and inefficiencies, and there's still work to be done. Too many projects in western North Carolina have stalled due to insufficient funding or because of financial shortfalls from expensive debris removal and rebuilding efforts. I I greatly appreciate that President Trump and Secretary Mullen have empowered FEMA to more rapidly reimburse the state and local governments for public assistance projects. However, FEMA is only one part of the equation. The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other federal agencies play a key role in disaster recovery. And much of the existing disaster funding for those agencies has already largely been allocated.

[00:26:02]When I visit western North Carolina, I see the impacts the delays in recovery have rec caused. Debris still clogs the waterways. Facilities that provide drinking water and manage waste water have yet to be rebuilt. Most concerning, some homeowners are paying mortgages on properties that are still unlivable or yet to be rebuilt. Towns have been forced to embrace expensive short-term stop gap solutions just to carry out their most basic functions for the residents. In the small town of Beach Mountain, there is no long-term water supply. The dam and water treatment plant were heavily damaged, forcing the town out of compliance with state safety standards. And as a result, the the state could be finding Beach Mountain $25,000 per day.

[00:26:51]Most repairs are needed so that the water treatment plant can function long-term. If funded, this process will take at least a year and require significant diversion of utilities and or daily water trucks just so hundreds of residents will have to have clean drinking water during construction.

[00:27:08]Three years is too long to wait after a disaster, and we can't delay any longer.

[00:27:13]Tourism, the lifeblood of much of western North Carolina, has begun to rebound. But there's still far too many areas that are unable to accommodate the travelers they once welcomed.

[00:27:24]But I want to highlight a few examples of success stories to show how ample funding for the last disaster supplemental, paired with exceptional planning and project execution, made an immediate impact on our mountain communities. Last July, portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway reopened after 57 landslides struck 200 miles of the parkway.

[00:27:46]This Memorial Day weekend, Lake Lure reopened the public uh to the public after an incredible debris removal and refilling project. And I want to be clear that I fully support President Trump's request to replenish our munition stockpile and strengthen our military. And I'm also appreciative of his efforts to provide economic assistance to farmers impacted by disasters and unfair trade practices.

[00:28:10]However, to address the long-term recovery needs of Western North Carolina, more federal funds are needed.

[00:28:17]Every time I'm in Western North Carolina, people ask me to make sure that they're not forgotten. This is Congress's chance to remind them that we're serious about helping them get back on their feet. I'm deeply grateful to the members of the committee for holding this hearing and I look forward to continuing to work with you throughout this whole process. Thank you.

[00:28:38]>> Thank you, Senator Bud, Senator Padilla.

[00:28:42]>> Thank you, Madam Chair, uh, Vice Chair Murray, members of the committee.

[00:28:46]Appreciate the opportunity to testify on behalf of the people of California and especially the survivors of last year's devastating fires in Los Angeles County. And I want to acknowledge that some of them are here in the audience today uh advocating uh for relief and I'm proud to work alongside them. As many of you recall, 18 months ago, 60,000 acres across Southern California burned. That's roughly three and a half times the size of Manhattan.

[00:29:18]Over 16,000 homes, businesses, schools, and other structures were destroyed. And most devastatingly, 31 Californians lost their lives.

[00:29:30]To respond, more than 7,500 firefighters worked literally around the clock for more than three weeks to extinguish the fires. And those firefighters weren't just from California. Many came from our neighboring states of Oregon, Washington, Arizona, some as far away as Utah, Texas, and Montana. Colleagues, because as Americans, that's what we do.

[00:29:54]We help each other. We don't condition our response based on who a community voted for in the last election. When Americans need help, we help.

[00:30:08]Now, walking around the Palisades and the Aladena communities during the fires and after the fires, you couldn't help but be moved by the scale of the devastation, the images of nothing standing but a chimney amongst a a pile of ash, cars literally melted into the streets or the drivers where they had been parked. In the wake of disasters like this, Congress has historically come together on a bipartisan basis to provide aid and long-term recovery funding to help communities recover and rebuild regardless of whether the disaster was in a state represented by Republicans or Democrats. But instead of following that historical practice, this administration has left California waiting for more than a year and a half while asking Congress to fund hundreds of billion dollars for other purposes.

[00:31:02]I want to be crystal clear. No disaster impacted community, regardless of where it is located, should ever be held hostage or treated as a bargaining chip for other political priorities.

[00:31:15]Californians in Aladena and the Palisades have now waited more than 18 months.

[00:31:21]Yet long-term recovery funding is still absent from even the administration's request. Instead, it asks taxpayers to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more on a war that Congress has never authorized. A war that's raising gas prices, worsening supply chains, making our country less safe.

[00:31:42]and for which 17 service members have already paid the ultimate sacrifice with many more seriously injured.

[00:31:51]Now, we know this committee can't address disaster relief without tying it to a laundry list of unrelated priorities because it's done so many times before, including as recently as December 2024 when the committee on a bipartisan basis passed more than hundred billion dollars of relief. There's no reason we can't do it again.

[00:32:13]Congress, we must, excuse me, colleagues, we must reject the premise that it is okay to keep survivors waiting for help because the president, any president, decides they need something else from Congress to get it.

[00:32:26]To that end, I do want to thank my colleagues, Senators Tillis, Schiff, and Curtis for joining me in sending a bipartisan letter to the committee just yesterday supporting long-term disaster recovery funding. Madam Chair, I'd like to enter this letter into the record at this time.

[00:32:47]>> Thank you, Senator Padilla.

[00:32:49]>> I'm not enter the letter to the record.

[00:32:52]Without objection, it will be.

[00:32:54]>> And I I'll be wrapping up soon here. I uh also want to reiterate what I said earlier. We know the next disaster is coming. Anyone who stepped outside of Washington this last weekend or across at least a dozen states saw and breathed the very impact of wildfires. And it may be Canada now, but it's going to be one of our states next. As of last week, the federal government has already spent over $3.3 billion in wildfire suppression this fiscal year. Even though the peak of fire season is August and September, that's still ahead of us.

[00:33:30]That should concern the committee. We cannot allow wildfire suppression funding to run out before the end of the fiscal year. So, in addition to the long-term disaster recovery funding, I urge the committee to examine the need for emergency suppression funds as well.

[00:33:45]And I would note that the fire fix, which has provided a steady resource for fighting wildfires, will expire in fiscal year 2027.

[00:33:53]Congress needs to extend and increase that funding to ensure firefighters have all the resources they need to respond to the ever growing threat of wildfires.

[00:34:04]I'll close by reiterating what I said at the outset. Disasters do not distinguish between red states and blue states. And when it comes to disaster aid, neither should Congress. So, thank you again for holding this hearing and allowing me to be a voice for my constituents and for disaster survivors across the country. I look forward to working with this committee to ensure that everyone has the resources, support they need to recover and rebuild regardless of which state they call home. Thank you very much.

[00:34:35]I appreciate the testimony of the entire panel as we consider the supplemental submitted by the administration. Your testimony is very helpful to us. Thank you.

[00:34:51]I will now ask that our second panel of witnesses come forward.

[00:35:25]Thank you.

[00:35:45]Well, leave it to our military witness to be on time.

[00:36:06]While we are waiting for our second panel to be seated, uh, let me introduce them. We are joined today by the Secretary of War, Pete Hexet, the Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine.

[00:36:29]These administration officials represent the largest components of the administration's request, and we welcome them to the committee today.

[00:36:40]Secretary Hexath, we will begin with your testimony. Please proceed.

[00:36:47]>> Well, Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, thank you for the opportunity to testify on President Trump's supplemental funding request for the Department of War. As you know, we live in a dangerous world that requires bold and swift action. Hence this supplemental request for fiscal year 2026.

[00:37:09]This request is an urgent necessary injection of resources to address the immediate needs of our department. The supplemental funding request is not a substitute.

[00:37:32]The witness will suspend until order is restored in the committee room. I know that individuals feel very passionately, but we must have order in the hearing room so that we can proceed. We're now going to move forward to with our hearing and Secretary Higs, please proceed. Thank you. The supplemental funding request is not a substitute for the president's full $1.5 trillion base budget request.

[00:38:06]1.5 trillion.

[00:38:09]STOP BOMBING OUR CHILDREN IN IRAN AND PALESTINE. THIS IS ILLEGAL.

[00:38:14]>> MR. SECRETARY, please suspend until order is restored in the hearing room. We will begin the timing clock since you've been interrupted twice.

[00:38:33]>> Thank you.

[00:38:34]>> Please proceed.

[00:38:36]>> 1.5 trillion is what the president seeks and what we need to defend the country.

[00:38:42]The members of this committee understand better than most that long-term strategic dominance cannot be funded through one-off supplements.

[00:38:58]We will have order in the hearing room.

[00:39:08]Mr. Secretary, please proceed.

[00:39:11]>> Collectively, the budget proposals submitted under President Trump follow a simple logic.

[00:39:23]I would ask that the Capitol Police, whose professionalism I admire, remove those who are seeking to disrupt the hearing.

[00:39:37]Please proceed. President Trump's following a simple logic. The military requires a generational investment to deliver on peace through strength. We know the best way to create peace is to prepare for war, to deter it. And that's exactly what the Department of War is doing. Building a force so capable that it would be absurd for anyone to challenge it. As the direct result of neglected priorities and and gross negligence that ignored threats left over from the previous administration, President Trump inherited a set of global and domestic crises. Deferred maintenance almost across the board.

[00:40:15]Instead of steering the ship through gathering storms, former leaders let our military languish through social experiments and globalist appeasement.

[00:40:24]Sheer weakness.

[00:40:26]Under President Trump, we have built a different type of department. The Pentagon is no longer run by bureaucrats. Instead, it's led by combat tested veterans and worldclass business leaders who are running the department like a business and tech titans who are bringing lethal innovation to the battlefield. We're also at a different moment and we cannot afford in action.

[00:40:49]If we don't make critical investments right now in tech, in compute, in AI, in autonomy, in space, our adversaries, who are already making these types of investments could outpace us.

[00:41:05]Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption. This supplemental request serves two purposes. Sustain our military readiness to meet this year's new demands and accelerate critical capabilities to replace and augment those we have used in contingencies. But make no mistake, this is not a one forone replacement. We are upgrading and we are modernizing across the force.

[00:41:40]On the readiness front, we requested $21 billion. This will fund military pay, replace much of equipment utilized during recent operations, sustain forward deployed forces, and grow personnel and strength while stabilizing mission critical fueled shortfalls and supporting the National Guard. On the capability side, we requested $46 billion. These funds will expand production lines and accelerate delivery of high demand munitions. We're talking about solid rocket motors, JDAMS, hypersonics, and counter drone capabilities. Additionally, we will use this investment to secure digital and space dominance, including resilient satellite networks. Department leadership recognizes that appropriating those funds is just the first step. Once funds are appropriated or portioned, excuse me, to the department, we need to promptly execute on them. And that's why we're requesting targeted legislative authorities like transfer authority to prioritize our greatest needs and opportunities. Multi-year procurement for weapon systems, revolutionizing the speed and scale of munitions procurement and new start authorities.

[00:42:52]Rest assured that every dollar appropriated to the Department of War will be focused on building the lethality of our joint force and reinforcing peace through strength. As I have said before, not fully funding this department, the Department of War. And we know what that means. That that means 1.5 trillion given the world that we live in and the disaster of what the Biden administration budgets gave us.

[00:43:18]Not funding this department at 1.5 trillion, I believe, is the greatest threat that our nation faces. Either we invest in our warriors at this moment of step change on the battlefield and growing threats, or this is all just talk. I look forward to working with this committee to secure those funds so that our war fighters can continue to do their work every day to keep our great republic safe. Thank you very much.

[00:43:45]>> Thank you, Mr. Secretary. General Kaine, >> Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, distinguished members of this committee, I'm honored today to appear before you with Secretary Hegsth and Secretary Rollins to testify on the Department of War's fiscal 2026 supplemental funding request. And I'll note, I fondly remember my time at USDA earlier in my career where I had the chance to serve there. I'm also joined today by my senior enlisted advisor, Seak Dave Isim.

[00:44:17]As always, I'm deeply grateful for this committee's continued partnership and support for our common defense. I'd like to begin by expressing my deep consol condolences and that of the joint chiefs of staff and the seak for the fallen from this past weekend and their families. Today we remember First Lieutenant Tyler Fihan, Sergeant Michael Swinton, and Private Isabel Gonzalez, and note that the names of our last fallen will be released when we can. I'm humbled daily by the profound commitment of the incredible 2.8 million Americans, just like these names that I've just mentioned, who make up our joint force and serve our nation every day.

[00:45:02]Also, on behalf of the Joint Force and the Joint Chiefs, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Senator Graham for their loss and all of you for the loss of your colleague. The Joint Force remains grateful for his 44 years of service both in and out of uniform. There is no doubt he made a difference to the safety and security of our nation.

[00:45:30]On July 22nd, 1940, General George C.

[00:45:34]Marshall said, and I quote, "For almost 20 years, we had all of the time and almost none of the money. Today, we have all of the money and no time." His words resonate powerful powerfully with me today as we find ourselves in a somewhat similar situation. I've come to you today to request the necessary funds while in the window of opportunity.

[00:45:59]While time is still on our side, the United States of America faces a global list of military challenges in the Middle East, in Europe, in the Pacific, both nuclear and non-uclear challenges, and the continued threat of terrorism.

[00:46:18]We find ourselves living and leading in complex and dynamic times. Our adversaries are aligning in their interests, creating simultaneous challenges across multiple domains. They are sharing intelligence, combat capabilities, and technology. technology that is accelerating the speed of war is an it is an imperative that Americans understand that the character of war is changing. Advances in technology are fundamentally and irreversibly changing the way we fight with which necessitates capital to properly arm America's military.

[00:47:01]Rapid advancements in AI autonomous systems deliver critical technological advantages to our national defense and simultaneously introduce unprecedented strategic vulnerabilities and uncertainty across the world to include right here at home.

[00:47:19]The low barrier to entry created by affordable, ubiquitous, unmanned systems means our adversaries, rogue actors, state and non-state actors, and violent extremists have access to disruptive and potentially lethal technologies at scale. We've seen this in Ukraine, and we must adopt elements of this fight for our future fights.

[00:47:44]Conflict is never confined neatly to the land, sea or air domains. The modern battlefield stretches from the seabed up to cis lunar space and beyond cyberspace and in the information domain all at the same time. Our nation must be prepared to fight and win across all of them all the time all at once. In addition, the light speed at which information travels now has compressed our leaders decision space, taking what was once days or weeks in World War II down to milliseconds. Your joint force must be ready because the United States military is America's greatest insurance policy.

[00:48:29]And I acknowledge all of us find it difficult at times to pay for insurance before we need it. But we must have insurance before the storm comes. The armed forces of the United States of America serves as our nation's ultimate safeguard and our insurance policy to preserve, protect, and defend our national interest, security, and prosperity. To uphold this responsibility, we require predictable and consistent funding. This will allow us to partner effectively with our defense and national industrial bases, building on acquisition reforms that guarantee our war fighters receive capabilities at scale before they are required in conflict or combat. I'm struck by this season of American history we find ourselves in and I continue to ask myself if not now, then when? And if not us in this room and the rest of the Congress and the nation, then who? I acknowledge the environment we all serve in, but always remember that we are all Americans with deep and abiding love of our nation and our military service members and their families. I've come today to ask for your help and your support. America's armed forces need $1.5 trillion to meet the military challenges of the future.

[00:49:48]This supplemental is a part of that and to be allowed to use this capital to pay for military personnel operations and maintenance expenses and accelerate investments on critical technologies as the secretary just mentioned. It is critical that we stay ahead of our adversaries and we must have the funds before we're out of time. In closing, I ask all of us to remember our deployed service members around the world right now, especially our Army teammates who remain deployed after losing their friends and teammates this past weekend.

[00:50:21]And I again ask all of us here in the Senate and across the American people to never forget our fallen and their families who continue to show us what courage, tenacity, grit, and commitment to the nation looks like. Thank you very much and I look forward to your questions.

[00:50:39]>> Thank you, General Secretary Rollins.

[00:50:43]Thank you so much uh Chairwoman Collins, Ranking Member Murray, and distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. Let me begin with the bottom line up front. The United States Department of Agriculture is joining today the United States Department of War in a fight for America and for American flourishing. After all, defending America's ability to feed and fuel and clothe herself is defending America full stop. This can be easily forgotten. For centuries, we built farms and ranches and transportation that fed not only America, but the world, too. For a long time, that prosperity made America strong and made America safe. But across the past 100 years, and especially across the last administration, we took that source of strength in war and peace, our farms and our ranches and the communities that surrounded them, and we hollowed them out. We made them weak and we put them on the precipice of decline and extinction. We sent our food production overseas. In fact, 2023 was for the first time a significant net importer of our food for America. And in so doing, we replaced American production with massive amounts of imports. We allowed and even encouraged the consolidation of agriculture, seed production, processing, fertilizer, and beyond into massive industries at scale. Today, nearly 85% of our meat packing capacity is controlled by just four companies, including two that are foreignowned. Additionally, our largest pork company in America is owned by a China company or China. Four fertilizers in America now represent four fertilizer companies now represent 78% of the production versus just a couple of decades ago that was in the dozens. And two seed companies now produce more than 50% of the seed for America. These are national security implications. When President Trump returned to office, America's farm economy faced one of the most difficult economic environments in decades. Between 2020 and 2025, the cost of seed rose 19%, crop protection rose 30%, fertilizer rose over 50%, fuel and oils rose nearly 33%, electricity 36%, and repair and maintenance 27%.

[00:53:27]As these costs climbed, commodity prices plummeted. Farm income fell by more than $90 billion from 2023 to 2024, representing one of the largest single-year declines in history. At the same time, producers saw not one new trade deal across the world, resulting in an unprecedented $50 billion agricultural trade deficit. American farmers deserve better and our national security now demands it. As long as we are beholdened to foreign and even hostile countries for our f food and our fuel, our freedom is in jeopardy. Since my first day at USDA, we have been committed to addressing this crisis head on. In addition to implementing the historic working families tax cuts, thanks to uh so many in this room who worked so hard moving 40 billion in disaster and economic assistance to producers across the country, securing 19 new trade deals, and decreasing that $50 billion agricultural trade deficit in one year by 42%.

[00:54:35]This year, our corn exports are expected to be at a record-breaking 35%, ethanol up 11%, dairy up 15%, and tree nuts up 11%. We are making progress, but we have a ways to go. Administrator Zelden has secured the strongest renewable fuel standard volumes in history, and the president continues to support yearround E15 for our domestic markets. We have led robust responses to animal health threats, including HPAI and the New World Screworm, and have reduced unnecessary regulatory burdens and partnered with producers to strengthen the domestic demand for American agriculture. These are lasting reforms and will change the trajectory of American agriculture for the future. The trade agreements will take time to fully execute and generate even more exports.

[00:55:28]The bofuel investments take time to increase the demand for American crops, although we're already seeing a 10% increase since just an announcement a month ago. And of course, onshoring facilities like fertilizer will continue to take some time to build out. But we are confident that the direction of American agriculture is changing for the better, but many producers continue to face economic pressure as we build that economic infrastructure out. Specialty crop growers across the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Florida suffered devastating freeze losses this past winter. Producers across the plains continue recovering from catastrophic wildfire and events occurring while many operations are still working to catch up financially.

[00:56:15]That is why our proposed uh proposal includes 10 billion in temporary economic assistance for 2026 rowcrop and specialty crop producers and also includes 1.1 billion to help producers recover from catastrophic freeze losses suffered this past winter. Congress has taken similar action over many decades and we're so grateful for that. but including most recently 2023 and 2024 with economic aid and disaster relief aid with the hurricane seasons. I want to be 100% clear as I close. For the sake of American national security, American existence and the American future, we must in the long run end this system that has grown up like a weed and strangled the American farmland and food production. Farmers want to farm for their products, not for a government check. They want to be free from dependency and free to innovate. We know what happens when they are able to do that. They build and feed the greatest republic in the history of man. But when they aren't, well, we know the danger that we are in today. But that's why this supplemental is so important. It provides a bridge and extends a hand to Americans who need it. It buys the nation the security that we need. and advises time to deconstruct and then reconstruct a new system, putting our farmers and ranchers first and to restore the system that originally made America great. For our farmers, the defense of American freedom continues.

[00:57:48]They only ask to be free to fight. Thank you so much. Thank you for your testimony. We will now begin with questions for our witnesses. As you can see, we have a very full attendance of committee members today. So, I would ask that all of our colleagues to please keep track of her that they have the tools, the training, and the support that they need to accomplish their missions.

[00:58:19]On the topic of our service members, I would be remiss if I did note that since January of last year, the department has removed a number of senior generals and admirals from their positions, blocked or altered promotion lists across multiple services, and intervened in several senior assignments. ments. A recent New York Times story reported that about 40 senior officers were removed from promotion lists and more than two dozen generals and admirals were fired or sidelined, including Admiral Lisa Franetti, the first woman to lead the Navy. The Times further reports that more than half of those fired or removed have been female or black and that for the first time in more than a decade, no active duty female naval officers are likely to be promoted to admiral. I find this deeply troubling.

[00:59:42]These are men and women who volunteered to serve our country and swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution.

[00:59:52]Over the course of their careers, they have earned the support and the trust of their commanders and subordinates, led our men and women in uniform, and were selected through rigorous command and promotion boards. They have served under presidents and defense secretaries from both parties.

[01:00:20]Reports that women and people of color are disproportionately fired or sidelined create the impression that there's