US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected growing concerns that America’s weapons stockpiles are being dangerously depleted, calling political claims and reports about strained munitions “foolishly and unhelpfully overstated” during tense Congressional hearings this week about cost of Iran war.
Speaking before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, Hegseth was grilled meticulously but he insisted the U.S. military retains full operational capability despite ongoing combat demands linked to the conflict involving Iran and regional escalation in the Middle East.
“We have all the munitions needed to execute what we need to execute,” Hegseth said, pushing back on reports suggesting the Pentagon is running low on key weapons systems.
He added in a separate exchange with lawmakers, “I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum. That’s not true.”
Concerns about U.S. stockpiles have intensified as the Iran conflict has stretched for weeks, driving heavy use of advanced systems including Tomahawk cruise missiles, ATACMS battlefield missiles, and Patriot air defense interceptors.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot, said after a classified briefing that it was “shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” warning that the pace of weapons consumption is unusually high.
Hegseth sharply criticized Kelly’s public remarks, suggesting he may have mishandled classified information. On social media, Hegseth wrote, “‘Captain’ Mark Kelly strikes again,” and said Pentagon legal officials would review whether any rules were violated.
Kelly rejected that accusation, saying nothing he shared was classified and arguing that Hegseth himself had made similar statements in public settings.
Later, at the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing, Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hammered Hegseth over the plan, objecting to leaving crucial Pentagon programs, such as the Golden Dome missile defense system, munitions, the F-35 fighter jet and drone production, outside the normal reconciliation process.
In contrast to Hegseth’s firm stance, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine offered a more measured evaluation to Congress.
Caine said U.S. forces currently have “sufficient munitions for what we’re tasked to do right now,” while acknowledging that commanders “will always want more capacity.”
The split messaging underscored ongoing tension between military leadership and civilian defense officials as lawmakers pressed for clarity on readiness levels.
Members of both parties used back-to-back hearings to challenge the Pentagon on multiple fronts: war strategy, budgeting, and the sustainability of current operations.
Republicans including Rep. Ken Calvert and House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole questioned President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget structure, particularly the plan to split funding between standard appropriations and a large reconciliation package.
Appropriations Chair Mitch McConnell warned that relying heavily on reconciliation could leave key programs including missile defense systems, the F-35 fighter program, and drone production,vulnerable to political gridlock.
“Political realities will not always allow a party-line budget reconciliation,” McConnell cautioned, arguing that critical defense priorities need stable long-term funding.
Lawmakers also pressed Hegseth and Gen. Caine for clarity on U.S. strategy in Iran, particularly regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
Sen. Susan Collins described the situation as inconsistent, saying there appeared to be “a different plan almost daily.”Sen. Chris Coons questioned how the U.S. could claim to control the waterway while it remained closed to commercial traffic. Hegseth responded sharply, accusing Coons of being “highly disingenuous.”
Senator Chris Murphy repeatedly pressed for operational details, including missile assessments and battle damage estimates, but military officials declined to provide specifics in open session, citing classification.
Caine refused to confirm intelligence estimates about Iran’s remaining missile capability, saying, “All of our battle damage assessment matters are classified.”
Republicans in the House and Senate questioned Hegseth about Trump’s huge $1.5 trillion plan for the Pentagon. They were not fully convinced by how the money would be raised.
The plan says:$1.1 trillion would go through the normal budget process in Congress;$350 billion would be passed using a special method called budget reconciliation.
Budget reconciliation is a fast-track process that lets Republicans pass bills in the Senate with a simple majority, avoiding a Democratic filibuster (a tactic used to block legislation). However, it is complicated, takes time, and some Republicans worry it may be too hard to use again, especially after already using it for other major bills like immigration funding.
Rep. Ken Calvert, who leads a House budget subcommittee, said lawmakers still have “questions” about the plan. He said they need to clearly understand how the money will actually improve military strength and effectiveness. He also said he has serious concerns about how the Pentagon is structuring the funding request.
Hegseth responded that Washington politics is complicated. He said that in an ideal world, everything would be passed through the normal process, but in reality, political obstacles and rules make that difficult, and not everything is under his control.
Pentagon officials disclosed that the estimated cost of the Iran conflict has increased to approximately $29 billion, up from earlier projections of $25 billion. Acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III said the increase reflects operational spending, equipment replacement, and ongoing deployment costs. The figure does not include broader infrastructure repairs at regional bases or additional long-term costs associated with sustained military presence.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski renewed calls for Congress to assert greater authority over military action against Iran, arguing that the administration should seek explicit authorization for continued operations beyond the 60-day War Powers Act threshold.
Hegseth rejected that position, stating that the executive branch already has sufficient authority under President Trump to act if hostilities resume.
In a separate exchange, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart questioned Hegseth about foreign military activity in Cuba, including visits by Russian naval vessels and intelligence operations.
Hegseth confirmed concerns about adversary activity near U.S. territory and said Cuba itself poses a national security risk, stating, “I do” when asked directly. The comments come amid renewed debate in Washington over how broadly the U.S. should respond to foreign military presence in the Western Hemisphere.
The hearings highlighted deepening friction between Congress and the Pentagon over how the Iran conflict is being managed, how much it is costing, and whether U.S. military readiness is being strained.
While Hegseth maintained that the United States retains full flexibility and sufficient stockpiles, lawmakers from both parties continued pressing for clearer answers on strategy, transparency, and long-term sustainability as the conflict shows no immediate signs of resolution.
