Republican senators have criticized the Pentagon for excluding Democrats from closed-door classified briefings on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's proposed $1.5tn military budget increase, warning the approach could jeopardize the package's passage. Senator Thom Tillis said Hegseth was undermining his own case by refusing to 'go to war and win the argument' with nearly half the Senate, while Senator Mike Rounds said Pentagon officials cited fears of classified leaks.
Much of the budget will still need Democratic votes even if parts move through reconciliation, and Senate Democrats have threatened to boycott the funding bills entirely. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department remains 'fully committed to working with Congress,' while Senator Lisa Murkowski called for briefings to be bipartisan.
The dispute follows earlier comments by Hegseth accusing congressional Democrats of being among the 'biggest impediment' to stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
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