Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ben Freeman
“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine testified before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on Tuesday ostensibly to justify the President’s request for an historic $1.5 trillion budget. Unfortunately, they offered no strategic justification for this nearly $500 billion increase in military spending and, instead, raised even more questions about the Pentagon budget and the cost of the war in Iran. What was most surprising about the hearings was perhaps what was missing: a real enemy. Historically, increases in Pentagon spending have been justified by a monster abroad we’re told we must destroy. … While the usual suspects — China, Russia, and Iran — were all mentioned in the hearings today, neither Hegseth nor Caine made the case that they were enough to justify the enormous increase in military spending they are asking Congress for.” (05/12/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/hegseth-testifies-congress/