Pentagon Excludes Democrats from Briefings

Washington, Agencies: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sparked a wave of criticism by excluding Democratic lawmakers from classified briefings on the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget. The move was described as a breach of established congressional protocols and sparked discontent even among Republicans, who warned of the repercussions of this hardline approach. According to reports, Hegseth traveled to the Capitol building at least twice in recent weeks to deliver closed-door presentations on the budget, but he followed an increasingly exclusionary pattern toward Democrats, raising questions about the administration’s commitment to transparency, especially as it seeks to approve an unprecedented increase in defense spending amid concerns that this approach could undermine the Pentagon’s efforts to secure bipartisan support.

Several Republican senators expressed their displeasure with this approach. Senator Tom Tillis stated that while Hegseth calls himself “Secretary of Defense,” he does not want to engage in the political battle to persuade nearly half of the Senate members. Meanwhile, a Republican member of the Armed Services Committee noted that briefings should be provided to all members of the Senate, not just Republicans.

Republicans urged the White House to change course, arguing that excluding Democrats could jeopardize efforts to pass the budget, particularly since the Republican Party will need Democratic support to approve the bulk of the defense budget if it fails to use the reconciliation process, which allows bypassing them. This comes after Democrats pledged to boycott funding bills.

A Pentagon spokesperson defended the department’s approach, affirming its commitment to working with Congress and stating that Hegseth and Pentagon leaders regularly interact with lawmakers. However, senior Democrats on national security committees described these actions as a blatant violation of standards.