Pete Hegseth says massive Pentagon budget will reverse Biden-era 'mismanagement'

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth presented the details of the $1.5 billion defense budget, which President Donald Trump's administration is seeking from Congress. Speaking at the Capitol building, Hegseth laid out how the money would be spent in relation to troops, stating that the budget would reverse the "mismanagement" suffered by the U.S. military under the Biden administration. "The $1.5 trillion budget will ensure the U.S. continues to maintain the most capable of militaries in the most complex of environments," he said.

Hegseth revealed that the budget involved a "historic" 7% pay rise for the troops and that it would do away with all barracks that were not up to the standards. "Quality of life for our troops is front and center in this budget. By supercharging our industrial capacity and transforming how the department does business, we are restoring American commercial dominance at a pace unseen in generations, transforming the defense industrial base from the broken, slow-moving systems of the past," he added.

Despite the Defense Secretary explaining some of the areas that the funding would go toward, doubts remain, especially among Democrats. Sen. Patty Murray posed a tough question to Hegseth when she asked if he expected American families to forego childcare and health care coverage so that the massive defense budget could be funded. "That's not my department," Hegseth responded.

"I also support the President's efforts to find and remove fraud wherever possible," he added. Earlier this year, President Trump had said that the federal government could not pay for individual programs like daycare, Medicare, and Medicaid, as it was busy protecting the nation from possible foreign threats. He suggested that states should take the burden of such programs in exchange for tax cuts from Washington.

Sen. Murray asked the question again, but did not get a clear answer. The Defense Secretary said that President Trump asked for a "historic" budget which would boost national security and help deal with "threats like Iran, which previous Presidents allowed to happen." The conflict with Iran is still ongoing, with no signs of a peace deal anytime soon.

The war in the Middle East has certainly added to the Trump administration's desire for a high defense budget. Jay Hurst, the Pentagon comptroller, said that the cost of the war now stood at around $29 billion. Hegseth, however, was not inclined to tell members of the Congress how much he would ask for on an emergency basis.

Republican Representative Ken Calvert posed the question to the Defense Secretary. "It'll be helpful to get the supplemental sooner rather than later so we can get to work on it," he said. Hegseth responded by saying that the issues surrounding the U.S.'s munitions were "overstated." "We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need. Whatever we think we need, we will submit," he said.