‘Explain The Spending’: Democrats Put Pete Hegseth On The Spot | US News

[00:00:00]Secretary Higs, Seth, um, your department received $150 billion last year in the Republicans big beautiful bill. It also received a record $839 billion [clears throat] for fiscal year 2026, more money than you asked for last year. Combined, that is a trillion dollar budget for the year. And as I already mentioned, your department has yet to spend half of the reconciliation funds. And despite that, you are here today asking for tens of billions of dollars more for things that you've already asked for in your FY27 request or that have nothing to do with Iran.

[00:00:36]This administration has tried to sell this as an emergency request, but it may be better understood as an attempt to skirt the normal appropriations process.

[00:00:46]Here are just a few of the things requested in this Iran supplemental. 800 million for the National Guard to patrol DC. even longer. Over 1 billion [clears throat] for the Army to patrol the southern border, which is DHS's job. 900 million to support the administration's illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean. over 18 billion for munitions, which you've already requested in your FY27 budget request, and 1.7 billion to pay for your decision to recruit more people than the services need, which was not compl contemplated by the FY26 funding bill Congress recently passed. Now, you've already submitted a reprogramming request on this that our subcommittee is considering now, which really underscores the point I made in my opening remarks that the problem is not a lack of money, but poor planning. So, I'll be blunt. The the truth is your request does not make a lot of sense.

[00:01:42]So, let me ask you a simple question.

[00:01:44]Why exactly are billions of dollars more for the National Guard and this administration's illegal strikes in the Caribbean urgently needed for the Iran War?

[00:01:56]Well, Senator, I wouldn't uh of course agree with your characterization, but why this kind of spending is needed is because of the gross negligence and neglect of the Biden administration inside our department, ran it like a bureaucracy, uh abandoned uh our our our strength posture around the world. So, we're having to reestablish deterrence.

[00:02:13]Uh just to you mentioned the end strength numbers, and I will acknowledge that uh we are ahead of schedule on end strength in recruiting. 8,000 in the Navy, six thou 6,000 in the Army, 4,000 in the Air Force. Because under President Trump, there's been record and historic over 30-year recruiting records inside our department since he won the election because the American people didn't want to sign up for what Joe Biden was providing our military and they want to sign up for what President Trump is doing in his leadership. And so those are good problems to have that we need to fund and a reflection of of momentum and this budget will allow us to continue the kind of momentum that gets us ahead. My point is that a lot of this request does not feel like an emergency. And let me move on. Secretary Hegth, like most Americans, I've had a lot of trouble following this administration's contradictory statements about the war. On April 8th, you said, and I quote, "Their missile program is functionally destroyed, launchers, production facilities, and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated and almost completely ineffective."

[00:03:13]Mr. Secretary, Iran has been firing at US milit military bases in the region and ships for the last week. How is it possible if their capabilities were quote functionally destroyed 3 months earlier, as she claimed, for them to be doing this now?

[00:03:29]>> Well, Senator, Iran is at the weakest point militarily it has ever been in uh in the past decade, certainly maybe in 47 years as they've gathered effectively a terror army. And that terror army was built to try to create conventional capabilities to defend against a pursuit of nuclear weapons which meant thousands of ballistics missiles many of which we have destroyed others of which they have put inside facilities and hidden in underground facilities. That's what terror regimes would do. So I acknowledge they still have capabilities. No doubt uh but the amount of the amount of damage that we've done to them over the course of uh of the of these series of operations has put them in the worst place they've ever been.

[00:04:06]>> Okay. Well, let me move on. On May 5th, you claimed that Iran doesn't control the straight and you said that there was a quote powerful red, white, and blue dome over the straight. If that was true, how did Iran shrink ship traffic in the straight to trick to a trickle again last week? We pushed almost, I believe, between 400 and 500 million barers of oil under the nose of Iran over the course of Project Freedom, which went underground, which I uh acknowledged after we did so covertly because it was more effective to do so quietly than to do so publicly. So, we've been uh in control of moving traffic through there for quite some time. Will they retain the ability to recklessly shoot at commercial shipping?

[00:04:44]And that's what happened. We had a ceasefire and then they shot at commercial shipping. Reckless. also said at that same uh press conference, and I'm going to quote you, um you urged Iran to quote, "Let innocent ships pass freely. These international waters belong to all nations, not to Iran to tax toll or control." Last week, President Trump said the US would charge a 20% toll to each ship to pass through the state. So, based on your opposition to tolls, did you talk to the the president out of that idea or did someone else? Um, Iran's not charging tolls and they're shooting at ships right now.

[00:05:21]>> Good. Trump said that he wanted to charge a 20% toll.

[00:05:26]>> We we have a blockade right now of all Iranian ships and Iranian ports and uh it's it's effective.

[00:05:31]>> My time is out.

[00:05:32]>> Thanks, Madam Chair. Mr. Secretary, I'd like to ask you to help me reconcile some numbers. It's my understanding that this whole supplemental funding request is $87.6 6 billion and most of the funding 67 billion is for the Department of Defense. Yet we are told the Department of Defense still has 75 billion in unobligated funding from last year's reconciliation package. Is that true?

[00:06:01]>> Roughly correct numbers. Yes.

[00:06:03]>> So you've left some change on the dresser before you uh prepared to come for this hearing. What's going to happen to that 75 billion? Well, that 75 is there's plans and designs on that part of the rebuild of our military which had to be undertaken. And so one big beautiful bill gave us specific avenues.

[00:06:21]I'd have to get you the exact numbers of what that is left to be allocated to do with the war in Iran.

[00:06:25]>> No, this is this is rebuilding our military from what was not funded in the past under the B administration. So that's these are this is from 2026. one big beautiful bill which which helped move the president's priorities like Golden Dome for America move away from all the woke priorities of of what the Biden administration was pursuing give us a chance to start cutting these deals on munitions all the things that we he the president wanted us to focus on ship building hypersonics I mean the bid administration ignored hypersonics they just decided to pretend like that technology didn't exist and we shouldn't invest in it there are thing I I don't know what Lloyd Austin did for four years I really don't the amount of neglect the amount of stale thinking and bureaucracy proceed if I was staggering when we took over one big beautiful bill gave us a chance.

[00:07:07]>> Let me interrupt your speech for a minute. Mr. Secretary, it's my turn to ask questions. I've been listening patiently while you made your presentation. You estimated at one point that the cost of the war in Iran was 29 billion, but then added a caveat that there was a replacement of munitions, for example. Do you have a new estimate about what the war has cost us so far in this the fifth month of the first year of this war in Iran?

[00:07:34]>> Uh Senator, the estimate we have as of today is 37.5 billion >> and is the current activity which we've been told about the exchange of fire back and forth uh in Iran an indication that number is going to go up in the months ahead >> of some of that number captures additional on andm mill pay and other that would be anticipated through the fiscal year. So some of that anticipates what cost would be going out in the future as well.

[00:07:58]>> So the new number you've given me is what?

[00:08:02]>> 37.5 billion.

[00:08:03]>> And that represents the cost of the war through what period of time >> through now for certain aspects of it uh but also mil pay and m other anticipated costs through September 30th. Senator >> General Kaine let me ask you a question.

[00:08:18]I joined a group of senators somewhere here. Senator Rounds, Senator Coons, Senator Shaheen, and met with President Sinski in Turkey during the NATO summit.

[00:08:30]He was very explicit in terms of what he needed to win. He feels the momentum in Ukraine is moving to his side and that he is putting a foot forward instead of back. Is that your feeling, >> sir? I think uh the the pressure that Ukraine is putting on Russia is substantive at this point.

[00:08:54]>> Do you acknowledge his request that we help them with air defenses as a high priority?

[00:08:59]>> Sure. I know he's made the request.

[00:09:01]Whether or not that moves forward is always a debate at our civilian leadership, but I'm aware of that request.

[00:09:07]>> Are you aware of the fact that we appropriated and the president signed into law $400 billion of supplemental funding for Ukraine, including money for air defenses? I am, sir.

[00:09:19]>> Are you also aware the administration has informed us that that money will not be available in many aspects until the next president is in office?

[00:09:27]>> Sir, I'm not aware of that. My understanding uh my understanding was that that capital had been allocated, but I'll have to defer to my civilian leadership.

[00:09:36]>> I'm sorry to tell you the pay plan tells us to be prepared to spend that money in fiscal year 29. The new president, whoever it may be, will make that decision. If you're talking about air defenses and the momentum on side of Zilinski, what impact will it have if we cannot fund this for three years?

[00:09:54]That's right. I I want to highlight that the incredible work that the Ukraine industrial base is doing as they scale their own capabilities. It ranges from their surfacetoair capabilities to their air-to-air capabilities. I'll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter. So, I think their ability to scale their layered defense has come along uh a long way over the past uh couple years with the help and assistance of many.

[00:10:27]>> General, thank you for your service to the country and I'm sorry for our losses. I believe 17 servicemen have given their lives in Iran so far and hundreds hundreds have been injured. We should acknowledge that fact. And let me also say we're at a moment in history where we can win the war in Ukraine.

[00:10:43]That victory would be critically important for those people who have fought for more than four years against the odds and proven they could put Putin back on his heels. But instead of finding the money that they need now for air defenses, we're putting more money into this exchange with Iran, a war of choice which we never should have entered. Thank you, General.

[00:11:02]>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Secretary Hexath, since you last testified before this committee, we finally received the spend plan for the 400 million FY26 appropriation for Ukraine security assistance. This funding was passed back in January and now there are only three months left in this fiscal year. And while I appreciate that we now see what most of the funding is intended for, I just heard from the CEO of one of the manufacturers of the defense articles that are contained in the spend plan that they not only haven't received funding, but they haven't even seen a contract. So when are we going to see a contract for those defense articles that are contained in the spend plan for Iraq or I'm sorry, for Ukraine?

[00:11:51]>> For Ukraine. Uh I Senator, I'll have to get back to you on the specifics of the timeline of that. I'll talk to our policy shop as well as the Yukcom commander determine where that's at.

[00:12:00]>> Well, you've told this committee that you barely spent half of the 150 billion in reconciliation funding. And if you still have 75 billion available, why are you asking the American people to absorb the cost of a war they don't support instead of asking for transfer authority for unspent reconciliation funding, especially if you can't even get $400 million in Ukraine funding at the door.

[00:12:26]As I mentioned earlier, Senator, that money from the one big beautiful bill is otherwise allocated to the rebuilding of our military with priorities of the president like Golden Dome for America and hypersonics and other munitions investments that we made upfront as we tried to adjust the Biden bud budget into an America first budget. And so reallocating that away from those priorities is Robin Peter to pay Paul.

[00:12:46]Those are allocated to rebuild. My point is ultimately if you can't spend it on a timeline that makes sense, >> why do you need to come back and ask for more money? Wouldn't it be better to spend money that you already have? And one of the things I noted was, or at least I think that this supplemental doesn't include funding to repair damage to our bases or to our military infrastructure in the region. and I have not heard that we've gotten the full extent of any of those damage estimates.

[00:13:18]So, should we expect another request to address that um military construction costs? And at what point do you stop asking Americans to foot the bill for a war they don't support on top of an inflated budget um request and billions in reconciliation funds that you still haven't spent?

[00:13:38]Well, Senator, I obviously don't agree with your characterization of that. Uh, >> I appreciate that, but you didn't ask, but I want you to answer my question. I know you don't agree with my characterization. I don't agree with yours either.

[00:13:49]>> Well, I one of the reason I I care I take issue with that characterization is something that Senator Durban said when he talked about Ukraine and he talked about winning. And I appreciate as much as anybody winning a war, but I sit in front of a committee that wants to talk about winning a war that's been going on for four years and talks about strategic defeat of a conflict that's been going on for four month month months to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. I want I I I would hope for some perspective in this town of the historic nature of what President Trump is undertaking. Do you want radical Islamist?

[00:14:20]Because I have limited time.

[00:14:22]>> I don't understand.

[00:14:22]>> If you can't answer my question, then I will move on to my next question.

[00:14:28]Secretary Rollins, the timber industry has also been hard hit, as you know, by trade wars, by drought, by wildfires, by other natural disasters that are increasingly common. Um, in New Hampshire, which is the second most heavily forested state in the nation.

[00:14:46]The one of the things that we really need, as you know, because we've had this conversation, is a research program and forest service staffing on the ground um in a variety of ways, but particularly at Bartlett Experimental forest. Um these small investments in research and staffing and sound management help make the forest economies healthier and more competitive. I very much appreciate you're having staff visit Bartlett last week with my staff and with staff from the governor's office, but can you commit to restoring staffing at Bartlett and to keeping the facilities there open now that you've seen um the critical nature of that research?

[00:15:31]>> Why don't I follow up with you? I have not gotten a report from their visit.

[00:15:34]So, I would like to do that first. But obviously, you and I have been in a continuing conversation about that. The good news, there's no doubt our timber industry is in distress and has been for a long time. The fact that we import 90% or something from other countries of our lumber needs is crazy. We're changing that. But the good news, we had more board feet sold last year than any time in 30 years. This year, we're going to exceed that target again. So, we're making the right moves on this. But there's no doubt that research is important to that as we've discussed and I'll follow up with our team and then we'll we'll reconnect.

[00:16:08]>> Thank you. I appreciate that. As you pointed out, research is critical to ensuring that the timber economy continues to be successful.

[00:16:15]>> Thank you, chair. Thank you, secretaries and uh general for being here. I want to start by paying my respects to first lieutenant Tyler Fihan of Eva Beach, Hawaii, who was among those killed in Jordan this weekend while serving our country. His courage, selfless dedication, and unwavering commitment to duty reflect the very best of our armed forces. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, his loved ones, his fellow service members, and remain forever grateful for his sacrifice.

[00:16:51]Secretary, about 190,000 people in the state of Hawaii, believe it or not, voted for Donald Trump. and I know a lot of them and I represent all of them. And one of the reasons that they were enthusiastic about Donald Trump and you, Mr. Secretary, was they they thought that we were going to have a new foreign policy and that I think I'm paraphrasing, but I think you characterized yourself as a reformed neocon or some such thing. And people were pretty thrilled about the idea that we were going to that America first in their mind meant that we were going to not do this kind of adventurism.

[00:17:33]And so I I don't want you to answer me.

[00:17:35]I want you to answer them. And I want to walk through the sort of stated objectives of this war at the outset.

[00:17:44]Regime change.

[00:17:47]We now have a younger and more radical regime depleting, eliminating their conventional missile capability. It's true that we've depleted their conventional missile capability. It's also true that anything the Department of War sets out to do, it usually succeeds at. So the question is not do we kick ass, it's when do we decide to use kinetic engagement to extend our power across the globe.

[00:18:18]And it's clear that Iran still retains enough conventional missile capability to attack our bases and our interests in the region. Now, it's true that the Bluewater Navy is destroyed. also true and you know this that the IRGC has something that you may not call a navy but it's got capabilities to to touch us with drones and missiles and lay mines in the straight of Hormuz preventing their nuclear capability.

[00:18:49]It's also true that if you bomb the crap out of a place, they're going to have less capabilities by the end of it. But it's also true that we have not eliminated their nuclear capability. And whatever duration we've set them back, actually pales in comparison to the, and I'll say it, the Obama nuclear deal, which we did without having to put our people in harm's way. And then the last objective, which has become a new objective, is open up the straight of Hormuse. But the Straight of Horus was open before this war started.

[00:19:22]And so you tell my constituents why this war is going so well.

[00:19:31]Uh [clears throat] I think you did accurately portray me as a reformed neocon and members of our generation in Iraq and Afghanistan watched administrations on both sides try to project some remaking of a society in the image of America that spent thousands of lives. I mean, in Iraq, um, you know, 15 I I don't know the exact number, but tens of thousands between Iraq and Afghanistan, men and women lost. President Trump said, "We're not fighting stupid wars like that again."

[00:19:56]And he hasn't. That's why we haven't been trying to remake Iranian society, but simply in a realist America first way, ensure they never have a path to a nuclear bomb, full stop. And he has said as a candidate and he said for as a private citizen Iran can never have a nuclear weapon because radical Islamists with nuclear weapon will wield it over our head in perpetuity. So President Trump ran on fighting wars differently and we're doing so overwhelmingly and he was very clear as a candidate that Iran can never have a nuclear capability. So I think he's directly on par with back in here. Um I think we're >> I think we're understanding the limits of air power here.

[00:20:35]because we're basically at a stalemate.

[00:20:38]You someone says the straight of Hormuz is closed and we say, "Well, we're we got a naval blockade and we're just going to see who blinks first." And the truth is in order to sort of change the balance here, change the equation here.

[00:20:53]Some kind of escalation would have to be considered. And if you're taking that off the table, then we are in a holding pattern.

[00:21:01]And I go back to the original five objectives and none of them have been been met. Some of them have changed, but none of them have been met. And with gas at now 402, with the Brent crude hit 90 today, up from 70 two weeks ago, gas up about a buck nationwide, about a buck 50 in the state of Hawaii. People want to know why are we even doing this?

[00:21:23]>> Uh, thank you, Madam Chair, Secretary Rollins. Uh, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland is one of the crown jewels of agriculture research in the United States and my question is simple. Can we find some time to get together in the coming weeks to discuss the situation there?

[00:21:43]>> Absolutely. Yes.

[00:21:44]>> Thank you, Madam Secretary.

[00:21:45]>> Uh, let me let me turn to the the Iran war. Uh, we recently lost three American heroes. That brings the death toll for American soldiers to 18. One is still missing. Hundreds [snorts] have been injured. That's on top of the civilian death toll throughout the region that now stands at several thousand, including the over 150 people killed in the bombing of an elementary school in Minab in Iran. Meanwhile, the Straight of Hormuz is closed. Gas prices today in the United States again spiked above $4 a gallon. And that will also continue to push up costs for groceries and other things that that families buy.

[00:22:30]Secretary Hexath, you said in your opening statement, the best way to ensure peace is to prepare for war. And I agree with you about deterrence. I would also submit that the best way to ensure peace is not to start wars because wars are a lot easier to start than they are to end. General Kaine, I heard your testimony saying Iran will continue to be a challenge. And I think it's pretty clear that that is in fact the case.

[00:23:00]And General, in order for you to develop a military strategy to accomplish a particular objective, you obviously need to know what those objectives are, right?

[00:23:16]>> Yes, sir. It all it all starts with um uh what what is the political objective and from that we derive military objectives that support uh whatever that end state >> and as you say that is a a political objective.

[00:23:29]>> Yes sir.

[00:23:31]>> So Mr. Secretary you've talked a lot about winning talked about winning in your testimony today. You've talked about winning throughout the Iran war and we all like winning. But I think the American people to deserve a definition of what it means to win in Iran because this war has dragged out for a lot longer than certainly the president of the United States indicated.

[00:24:01]Indeed, the president said on March 24th, and I'm quoting, "We've won this war. This war has been won." Do you know what the president meant by that back in March?

[00:24:14]>> Well, Senator, I would just note that militarily, I mean, Iran has been completely overmatched and and and crushed from the beginning. Militarily, their capabilities are nowhere near ours. I would take issue with with your characterization that we didn't start that we started this war. Iran started this war 47 years ago and they've killed Mr. Secretary thousands of Americans, including our brothers on the battlefield in Iraq.

[00:24:36]With all respect for Mr. Secretary, >> Mr. Secretary, >> we didn't start.

[00:24:40]>> Let me let me just ask you this. Since you said that what the president meant by his statement on March 24th, I think that we had sort of defeated Iran militarily, but that is not the entire objective of this war. I don't think there was ever a question about whether the United States with its superior military could destroy a lot of Iranian assets, military assets or other assets. That was never a question. But when most people think of winning the war, they think that that means the war is going to come to an end because we've won. And the president said back in March that we'd won. So I guess my question to you is how are we going to define winning? I hear back in March you said about the Iranians and I quote whether they will have a ceremony in Tehran Square and surrender that's up to them. So my question Mr. Secretary reopening the straight of Hormuz is necessary in order for us to win right that's just a simple yes or no question.

[00:25:51]You asked me what the overarching objective is and I would say ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon. That's been clear from the president from day one. That's why midnight hammer was undertaken to obliterate their nuclear sites. That's why we're watching their nuclear sites. That's why that was a part of negotiations ensuring that the next generation of Americans don't have to deal with Iran that wields a nuclear.

[00:26:11]>> Since that's what you're leading with, Mr. Secretary, let me let me just say this. You said after Midnight Hammer, and I'm quoting, "Our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons," unquote. Clearly, that is not the case based on your testimony today. It's also a fact that the DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, testified in front of the intelligence committee that it was our assessment that Iran did not intend to restart its nuclear program. The president of the United States just about a week ago said Iran has committed not to develop a nuclear weapon, which of course is a commitment they've made for many years. We need to enforce that.

[00:26:50]That's what we are doing under the JCPOA. Thank you, Madam Chairman.

[00:26:53]>> Secretary Hexath, um you're requesting billions of dollars in supplemental funding for a war that you said would last for weeks and that the president has no plan or ability to end. At the same time, this still unauthorized and extremely unpopular war has caused gas, diesel, fertilizer, and other essentials that New Yorkers and our farmers need across the country and has become much more expensive.

[00:27:25]So, how do I go back to New York? And what would you say to them who are seeing their health care bills rise because massive cuts to Medicaid? They've seen their grocery and gas bills rise. And this unpopular and unauthorized war abroad is a higher priority to this administration than their ability to feed their families and provide health care to their loved ones who are sick.

[00:27:54]Well, Senator, you're you're talking about political trade-offs and our job is to to to deliver for the United States military and the president of the United States and we we look at the cost of a nuclear Iran and we want to prevent that for future generations and that requires funding and supplementals and this budget and next generation capabilities and that's why we're here today to request some of that to ensure we can ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear war. You're essentially saying you're asking for literally $1.5 trillion for a war that President Trump said he already won. You're asking for $1.5 trillion, unlimited money for bombs, but insufficient money in the American for the American people for their health care, their food, their housing, and our farmers.

[00:28:36]Secretary Rollins who we have cut SNAP program. We are not funding the losses from uh emergencies that have happened in blue states particularly when we had cross.

[00:28:50]>> That's not true.

[00:28:51]>> False. You're not funding it. But back to you, Secretary Hegsth.

[00:28:54]>> And I would like to respond to the fertilizer and the gas.

[00:28:58]>> Secretary Hegth.

[00:28:59]>> There's no reason to be.

[00:29:00]>> You are you are asking for unlimited money for bombs when people can't feed their families. And I don't know how this administration intends to defend those decisions to the American people.

[00:29:11]>> Um, not unlimited bombs, Senator. I'm asking for the right bombs at the right time to ensure we can deter our adversaries into the future. And that's why this is a generational investment.

[00:29:19]And it was the previous administration that didn't fund this department.

[00:29:24]This is why they are so upset with you and this administration is because the words you have used in the past don't add up. about Iran specifically. You said that we had obliterated quote unquote Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons. The president made the same cla claim. Yet eight months later in February of 2026, the president launched an act of war claiming Iran was within two weeks of having a weapon. So when you say two very different things, the American people don't know who to believe or what to believe. They just know they can't afford their health care, they can't afford their food, they can't afford housing, and our farmers are continuing to suffer. So, which is true? Was it obliterated or wasn't it?

[00:30:06]What What's the status?

[00:30:07]>> The nuclear sites under Midnight Hammer were obliterated, but Iranians foolishly continued to attempt to pursue nuclear capabilities, which is why we destroyed their defense industrial base and so many of their other capabilities to ensure they can't get to a nuclear weapon. We're staying laser focused on the objective and you're trying to make campaign commercials and that's fine.

[00:30:26]>> So listen to this. You also say that you made the um missile program quote destroyed and made combat ineffective quote Iran's entire ballistic missile production capacity. Every company that builds every component of those missiles has been functionally defeated and destroyed. And that the missile program existing stockpiles were depleted and decimated almost completely ineffective.

[00:30:49]So why are there missiles left to hit Jordan and and result in the loss of life of our brave men and women?

[00:30:56]>> As we stated from the beginning, the Iranian defense industrial base is effectively gone. But they do have underground facil facilities because they're the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and they've spent 47 years trying to hide their missiles under mountains just like their Thank you. just like their nuclear capabilities cuz they would like to get a nuclear weapon against us of the war to believe because it's either over or it's not over. It's within two weeks or it's not two weeks. We have no missiles or we have missiles. And that constrnation is why so many New Yorkers are perplexed, stressed out, and find this war to be incredibly unpopular because they don't understand the choices that the president's making.

[00:31:34]They don't agree with those choices.

[00:31:35]Secretary Rollins. So, you have cut over 160,000 New Yorkers have been kicked off SNAP. What do you have against hardworking New Yorkers, children who need SNAP, and seniors who need SNAP?

[00:31:48]>> Well, first of all, diesel is down under Biden versus today, 581 versus 480. Gas is down from Biden today from 484 to 386 today. Fertilizer is down 56% from Biden highs.

[00:32:04]are higher than when you took office.

[00:32:06]All of those prices are higher than when you took office. So you are not making better for not true, Senator. And let me tell you what New York is stressed out about is the fact that your state is taking prime farmland and turning it into a solar farms. That is absolutely inexcusable.

[00:32:23]I have visited the New York farmers two times in upstate New York has expired.

[00:32:28]>> Thank you all for being here today.

[00:32:30]Secretary Hegsith, um, the American people either didn't want this war from the start or were deeply skeptical of this war because they have seen this country make the same mistake over and over again in wars in the Middle East and that is to create either unrealistic or open-ended objectives. Um, you said in March that the United States was quote on plan to defeat, destroy, and disable all of Iran's meaningful military capabilities at a pace that would that we have the world has never seen before. Obviously, as we've discussed here today, that objective has not been achieved and is not going to be achieved. Um, Iran is adept, more adept than even at the start of the war at hiding their capabilities or repairing after damage we have done. There's an open report that when it comes to their missile sites along the straight of Formuz, 30 of 33 are still operational.

[00:33:30]I wouldn't believe all the open reports, Senator, >> but I've also heard you say in this hearing that the objectives now seem to be more limited than they were at the outset of the war, that this is about reopening the strait and this is about dismantling their nuclear capability.

[00:33:47]And the president of course has said himself that he thinks Iran has a right to a missile program. Um, so my question is pretty simple. Is it correct that it is no longer a war objective to destroy all of their military capacities? This is what the president has said. Have our goals been simplified to reopening the strait and to getting into a negotiation over a nuclear program. Now, I don't think you have a realistic plan to do either of those things, but I think it's important for us to know what we're funding. Are the objectives much more limited today than they were when you made that statement in March? So I I think the objectives have been consistent and clear from the beginning and I I would compare I would contrast it to North Korea where a conventional buildup was used to hide a nuclear capability that eventually evolved to a point where it couldn't be contested and what Iran continued to do even after Midnight Hammer was try to build that conventional capability to dare anyone to stop them from pursuing nuclear weapons. So getting after their conventional capabilities, missile launchers, defense industrial base, their navy was all part of it. Ensuring they can't blackmail us into into pursuing a nuclear capability. Laser focused on Iran will never have a nuclear capability. That's the promise the president has made and that he will keep everyone. I think it supports that it is still a war objective either through military action or through a diplomatic agreement to dis destroy and disable all of Iran's meaningful military capacities including their missile program. as far as all when we talked about that from the podium for at the outset of this week we're talking about their defense industrial base and if you look at the metrics of their ability to make more uh that it's been overwhelmingly uh destroyed not everything but overwhelmingly now do they have missiles in in underground bunker bunkers because they're a terror state sure they do and we've acknowledged that from the beginning but their capacity is less today than it's ever been >> obviously they obviously have significant capacity to effectively disrupt the entirety of the Middle East and oil flows out of the Middle East and that's not going to change. Um, let me ask you one more question. This is a request for supplemental funding because you don't have the funding in your base budget to do what you need to do which makes questions about the base budget relevant. Um, there's been a lot of attention, Mr. Secretary, on the modernization of a luxury jet that was gifted to the president by the government of Qatar. Reports suggest that maybe as much as $1 billion dollar in year base funding. An extraordinary amount of money has been used for an upgrade and the plane is back in the shop for a second upgrade. As far as I can tell, never before has an administration not made public the amount of money for an upgrade or a construction contract on a presidential airplane. Obviously, we don't need or want disclose the details of that upgrade, but never before have you withheld from Congress and the public the total amount of money. Um, I think there are two really important questions here. One, will you make public the amount of money that you are spending to upgrade this plane? And two, can you commit to this Congress and this committee that the president isn't going to take this plane with him when he leaves office? The only thing more insulting to the taxpayers of spending money on a jet they don't need would be for the president to take it with him, to take it out of our military inventory when he leaves office.

[00:37:10]say the air force has done an incredible job making that a capable jet that ultimately uh but its capabilities and and and investment are are classified and shouldn't be talked about in public considering security. Will you disclose the amount of money publicly?

[00:37:26]>> Uh I would I would imagine as part of the regular budget process that's something that we would look at >> and and will you commit that the president will not take >> you have to look at the classification level of certain things that are not devolved for reasons of national security? Will you commit that the president will not take this jet with him out of federal inventory when he leaves office?

[00:37:44]>> It's that's not a decision for necessarily me to make and ultimately we're grateful to have it in the fleet for the air force to protect the president of the United States.

[00:37:51]>> That's a deeply satisfactory answer to the American public.

[00:37:59]>> Senator Peters.

[00:38:01]>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh folks, welcome to the hearing today.

[00:38:05]>> I apologize. Is Senator Osaf still here?

[00:38:09]>> Oh, >> I'm sorry. I didn't I went out of order.

[00:38:13]Senator Osaf, >> I'll yield my time to Senator.

[00:38:16]>> Thank you. [laughter] Thank you, Madam Chair, and uh thank you all for your testimony and uh General Kaine, let me just begin by expressing on behalf of all Georgians our immense gratitude and admiration for the service members uh who are making tremendous sacrifices and conducting themselves with extraordinary selflessness and professionalism on behalf of the United States uh and our state's unified condolences and grief for the families of the four killed in action. uh and our hope for a swift recovery for the the nearly 100 wounded over the last two weeks. And thank you to you for your service to the nation. Um Mr. Hexath, you're requesting roughly $68 billion for the department through this supplemental. Correct.

[00:39:04]>> 67. Yes.

[00:39:07]And yesterday, your department stated publicly, quote, "US forces struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems to degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial vessels." That was a press release from your department. Is that a broadly accurate characterization of ongoing operations?

[00:39:30]>> That sounds broadly accurate. Yes. On day 14 of this conflict, Mr. Secretary, day 14, nearly 5 months ago, you stated that Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. That was on day 14 of the war. Was that an accurate statement?

[00:39:49]>> Um, they didn't have a navy any longer.

[00:39:51]It was completely sunk. Uh, their missiles were buried underneath a lot of their underground facilities and their defense industrial base has been almost completely destroyed. So as far as a a military assessment of Iran's capabilities, it doesn't didn't mean by any stretch of the imagination absolute zero. But there came the lowest level on day 14 of this conflict in the second week of the conflict, you stated that Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. Was that an accurate statement?

[00:40:21]>> Yes or no?

[00:40:23]>> Iran's ability to challenge the United States of America at the level at which we're capable of.

[00:40:27]>> That's not what I asked you, Mr. Secretary. You said on day 14 Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. Yes or no? Was that an accurate statement?

[00:40:40]>> What the American military has the Iranian military is a historic military in effective in that context.

[00:40:48]>> 3 weeks later you declared victory.

[00:40:51]>> That was now nearly four months ago.

[00:40:55]three weeks after you'd already said Iran's military was destroyed and combat ineffective. You said, quote, "Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory." You said Iran's military had been rendered quote combat ineffective for years to come. And you stated we had quote achieved every single objective. Were those accurate statements?

[00:41:17]>> Uh, it certainly was on behalf of the men and women in uniform a historic military victory over Iran. Had Iran's military been rendered quote combat ineffective for years to come? That was a statement that you made four months ago. They had 160 naval vessels questions. Mr. Secretary said combat ineffective and they don't have a defense industrial base. So describe to me a country that doesn't have an air force, a navy or a defense industrial base. And I describe to you a company that country that does not have an effective secretary. They can lob missiles.

[00:41:47]>> Mr. Secretary, you stated four months ago that Iran's military had been rendered quote combat ineffective for years to come. Has Iran's military been for the last four months combat ineffective?

[00:42:01]>> It's been set back not just years, but likely decades at the level it did before and not even close. Doesn't mean it doesn't have capabilities.

[00:42:09]>> Mr. Secretary, you stated we had quote achieved every single objective. Was that an accurate statement four months ago? The main objective of this was to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Their main sites were obliterated. We're watching over them and we're holding that issue. If they don't give them up at the table, there's other ways we can take in the conflict.

[00:42:28]Iran will never have a nuclear weap. Mr. Secretary, early in the conflict, day three, you said one of those core objectives was to quote destroy the missile threat. And as you restated on day five to quote, obliterate Iran's missiles and drones. Those were clearly and repeatedly stated core objectives of the campaign which four months ago you declared had been completed victoriously with every single objective achieved.

[00:42:52]Were those objectives achieved four months ago?

[00:42:55]>> No one ever stated that every single missile was gone. Ultimately combat ineffective means they're not able to dig them out of their UGFS and shoot at doesn't mean they don't have underground facilities where they put missiles in them and hold on to them because they're the the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. We never expected they would stop having capabilities to shoot. The question is at scale against opponent like the United States of America which went toe-to-toe with them and Iran couldn't.

[00:43:19]>> You stated on March 8th, day nine of the war on 60 Minutes, you assured the American people of Iranian surrender.

[00:43:26]Does that remain your prediction?

[00:43:29]>> Ultimately, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon to threaten the United States of America. That has been the objective and it remains so. So just to review, you will not answer whether your statement made on the 14th day of the war that Iran's military had been quote destroyed and made combat ineffective was a truthful statement to the American people. As you sit here and ask for tens of billions more for the >> senator's time has a historic and effective military campaign against the largest state sponsor of terrorist weapons. Senator >> is recognized.

[00:44:05]Thank you, Madam Chair, and uh thank you to our witnesses here today. I want to uh begin by first echoing uh my colleagues uh comments that we've heard throughout the hearing here and join them in mourning the loss uh of American service members who were killed in action these last few days. Uh my thoughts are with their families uh with a service member who remains missing and with all those injured during the strikes. uh and I will continue to uh pray for their families. Secretary Hegsaf, um over the course of the war with Iran, I have uh repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the administration's lack of a winning strategy and repeated contradictions about the state of the war. Uh it frankly it doesn't help that you uh and your president continues to mislead the American people. You and the president have repeatedly said that the war, as we've heard over and over again, uh is almost over or already won. In fact, the president alone has said the war is almost over more than 30 times. On March 1st, the president said uh we'll be done in four or five weeks. On March 9th, he said the war was very complete. On April 8th, he declared total and complete victory 100%. No question about it. On the same day you declared Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital V military victory by any measure. And yet today, July 21st, we have soldiers whose remains are sadly going to be returned to their deeply grieving families tomorrow. Clearly, the war is not over yet. After months of conflict, our strategy to win remains unclear.

[00:45:53]I have long said the United States has the strongest military in history in the world. And I have no doubt that our brave service members can execute any mission and prevail in any battle. But without a clear winning strategy, we're at risk of being in another forever war that'll put our service members in continued harm's way and continue to cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

[00:46:16]Secretary Hegv, despite our your failure to win this war, uh you are back now before Congress asking for almost $70 billion in additional funding. You're asking the American people for a blank check because once again, the Trump administration's efforts have been an utter and complete failure to win this war to this point. So my question for you, sir, is how is your strategy different than what we've seen in the past? So far, we have not seen a strategy that's been successful. You mentioned nuclear material is the primary goal of the war. It still exists. We haven't dealt with that issue yet. You talk about the destruction of missiles and yet the missiles that we saw hit recent targets are actually somehow more lethal, more deadly, more maneuverable than what we have seen in the past. So, they're obviously improving their immune munitions. The straight of Hormuz uh is uh still closed, reminding everybody it was open before the war. Prices were lower for everybody until the war and it still remains closed. And of course, uh tragically, people, service members, our war fighters who we care deeply about are still dying. So what's different, >> Mr. Ex? Secretary Hoff, >> I think your characterization of this incredible effort as a failure is reckless. Uh, and I think it's irresponsible and I think it smears the sacrifice of the troops that are out there making on behalf of the American people to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Shame on you and others who call this a quagmire and a failure and then you want to turn around and say you support the war fighter. Either you do or you don't.

[00:47:53]I can get you a ticket out to Sentcom and talk to what those Americans are doing, how committed they are to this effort and how they want to ensure that Iran never threatens their families with a nuclear weapon. It's a it is that that's the kind of intensity that our war fighters have about making sure that Iran isn't capable of doing >> he did you if you listen to my comments you told you would have heard me say how amazing our war fighters are.

[00:48:13]>> I heard failure the word heard I I heard exactly I will tell you how I use the word failure because I use the word failure to their leaders. You sir are the failure not the men and women who are on that front line. Not the the men and women who hold up their honor with distinction, but if there's a lack of a winning strategy, they're in harm's way. Their leaders have failed them. And that's what's happening. We have political leadership. You You don't have a strategy. You don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war. Win the war. The men and women are going to be able to do it, but they need to have leadership. When will you showers have leadership? And will you show >> why don't you show some leadership and stand up to your fellow Democrats who won't fund the troops who stand and play partisan politics while you don't give us the money. You want to stand up here and talk about the troops. You won't show any political courage to actually fund our department because you have Trump derangement syndrome and can't actually commit to anything meaningful.

[00:49:06]So I put this on you, Senator >> Secretary Hegov, you have trillions. You have over a trillion dollars. You're asking for $1.5 trillion. It's not a question of money. It's a question of leadership and understanding what it takes to actually win >> political cowardice of Democrats who won't fund the troops.