Hegseth Bars Democrats From $1.5 Trillion Budget Briefings as Republicans Warn Votes Are at Risk
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 13
Hegseth Bars Democrats From $1.5 Trillion Budget Briefings as Republicans Warn Votes Are at Risk
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 13
Summary
At least two recent Capitol Hill briefings on the Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget excluded Democrats, prompting Republican senators to warn the strategy could sink the plan this fall.
Republicans including Thom Tillis, Mike Rounds and Lisa Murkowski said Democratic lawmakers still need classified access because much of next year’s military funding will require bipartisan votes outside reconciliation.
Pentagon officials have cited fears that classified material could leak, while spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth and senior leaders regularly engage Congress on the budget and national security priorities.
The clash builds on Hegseth’s April testimony calling congressional Democrats a major impediment to stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, deepening doubts about whether the administration can secure the broader spending package.