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Pete Hegseth faces Congress over Pentagon’s unprecedented $1.5 trillion budget as Democrats vow to block it
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The Pentagon’s massive $1.5 trillion budget request will face its first test Tuesday as House lawmakers quiz Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth about the proposal in a high-stakes hearing.
Democrats and some Republicans have raised concerns about the unprecedented size of the request, which would increase defense funding by nearly 50% from 2026 levels while making cuts to domestic spending.
The Trump administration argues the jump in defense spending is necessary to counter threats from geopolitical adversaries and advance the president’s priorities, including replenishing weapons stockpiles and expanding the defense industrial base.
Hegseth is also expected to face questions on the administration’s military strategy toward Iran as peace talks remain stalled between Washington and Tehran. Trump said Monday that the ceasefire with Iran is «on life support» during a news conference in the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire with Iran is «on life support» as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shuttered. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images; Salwan Georges/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
TRUMP CALLS FOR $1.5T DEFENSE BUDGET TO BUILD ‘DREAM MILITARY’
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst will testify alongside Hegseth at the House Appropriations Committee hearing.
The anticipated testimony follows back-to-back congressional hearings the trio participated in April, during which Hegseth repeatedly clashed with Democrats over the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
«The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,» Hegseth told lawmakers.
Hurst testified to Congress in April that the Iran war has cost $25 billion so far, mostly for munitions, though multiple reports say the total could be far higher. The Department of War is expected to seek a defense supplemental request following the conclusion of the conflict, which could be much larger in scope.
«It’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,» Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said on CBS News’ «Face the Nation» on Sunday. «Because this president got our country into this without a strategic goal, without a plan, without a timeline, and because of that, we’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe.»
Hegseth accused the Arizona Democrat of divulging classified information and pledged to have the Pentagon’s legal counsel review his remarks.
«Did he violate his oath…again?» Hegseth wrote on social media, referring to his attempts to sanction Kelly, a Navy veteran, for advising troops to ignore illegal orders last year.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, arrive at the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense fiscal 2027 budget request in the Rayburn Building on April 29, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
$1,300 COFFEE CUPS, 8,000% OVERPAY FOR SOAP DISPENSERS SHOW WASTE AS DOGE LOCKS IN ON PENTAGON
The Pentagon’s budget request is expected to face an uphill battle with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrats vowing to ensure it «never passes.» Any defense spending bill would require some Democratic votes to pass the Senate due to the upper chamber’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.
Kelly has slammed the fiscal year 2027 budget request as «outrageous» and called on the administration to submit a new budget that «makes sense for the moment we’re in.»
«When I got to the Senate five and a half years ago, the defense budget was just over $700 billion,» Kelly told CBS News’ «Face the Nation» on Sunday. «Now, they’re asking for twice as much money. It’s nearly the amount that the rest of the world pays for its defense.»
The Pentagon’s request would allocate more than $65 billion for the Navy’s «Golden Fleet» initiative and nearly $20 billion for Trump’s Golden Dome air defense shield. The administration also proposes spending billions on the next-generation F-47 Air Force fighter jet and unmanned weapons systems.
On the non-defense side, the administration’s budget request would slash funding for the State Department and international programs by a third and the Environmental Protection Agency by 50%, among other agencies.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg)
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At least one pressure point that Hegseth faced over Ukraine in April is off the table.
The Pentagon chief announced in late April that the administration released $400 million in Ukraine money that Congress approved in 2025. Hegseth was grilled about the delay in transferring aid to the country during his appearance before the House Armed Services Committee in April.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of War for comment.
politics, pete hegseth, congress, pentagon, war with iran, spending
INTERNACIONAL
Israel’s military eliminates Hamas terrorist who helped abduct American-Israeli hostage, 3 others
Retired general says US policy must stick to its guns against Iran and Hezbollah
Retired General Charles Wald analyzes the complex Middle East situation involving Iran, Israel and Hezbollah. Wald firmly states that Hezbollah acts as a proxy for Iran’s IRGC and that the United States must support Israel in defending itself. He credits the current administration for its strong policy, asserting the need to maintain this approach in the region.
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The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that it eliminated a Hamas terrorist who helped abduct American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who ultimately was murdered in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF said Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a deputy commander of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell, was killed in the central Gaza Strip on Monday. Nukhba, which is Arabic for elite, is the special forces for the Al-Qassam Brigades, which is Hamas’ military wing.
«Ramadan infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7th massacre and took part in the abduction of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel, and Or Levy from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction,» the IDF said Tuesday.
«In addition, throughout the war, and in recent weeks, the terrorist advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. As such, he posed an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip,» it continued.
HAMAS STRUGGLES TO FILL LEADERSHIP RANKS AS ISRAEL HUNTS OCTOBER 7 TERRORISTS
Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a deputy commander of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell, was killed on Monday, June 1, 2026, the Israel Defense Forces said. (IDF)
Goldberg-Polin survived almost 11 months in underground tunnels following his capture but was killed alongside other hostages in August 2024, while still in captivity. He was 23 at the time of his death.
«According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them,» then- IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
Goldberg-Polin was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against the Jewish State.
He lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack.
PENTAGON HOSTS FIRST-EVER ISRAELI-LEBANESE MILITARY TALKS AIMED AT CURBING HEZBOLLAH
Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, holds a photo of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage killed by Hamas, during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas conflict in New York City on Sept. 4, 2024. (David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters)
Eliya Cohen survived 505 days in captivity. He faced extreme starvation, was kept chained in tunnels, and had surgery for a gunshot wound without anesthesia. He was released in February 2025 as part of a negotiated deal.
Or Levy survived 491 days in captivity. He endured harsh conditions and only learned after his release that his wife, Einav, had been killed in the Oct. 7 attack. He has since reunited with his young son.
Alon Ohel spent more than two years as a hostage in Gaza until his release in October last year.
Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin attended the funeral of their son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a murdered U.S.-Israeli hostage, in Jerusalem in September 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images)
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A talented pianist, he endured starvation, torture and serious eye injuries from a grenade. He was freed on Oct. 13, 2025, through a U.S.-brokered deal and returned home to recover. He now performs with Israeli artists.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling, Robert McGreevy and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
wars, counter terrorism, israel, assassinations murders, hamas
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Senate Republicans want a clear-cut answer on whether the Trump administration’s now-stalled, nearly $2 billion «anti-weaponization» fund is dead before moving forward with a multibillion-dollar immigration enforcement package.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday announced that while the administration «disagrees strongly» with a Virginia federal court’s order against the fund, it would adhere to the decision. But many Republicans contend that it’s not enough to satisfy their concerns.
«I appreciate them saying that, but they don’t have a choice,» Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. «They have to abide by federal district court law. It doesn’t tell me whether they’re planning on appeal. It doesn’t tell me whether the administration’s backing off the idea — it doesn’t tell me anything, except they’re gonna follow the law.»
TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR GOP TO RESTART AGENDA
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican senators held a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2026, discussing their latest offer to Democrats to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
And in the middle of the intra-party battle is President Donald Trump’s roughly $70 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.
«If your question is, is the weaponization fund impacting our ability to pass the reconciliation bill? The answer is yes,» Kennedy continued. «But right now, the reconciliation bill, and the process surrounding it, looks like a broken arm with a bone sticking out.»
Senate Republicans abruptly halted budget reconciliation, the party-line process they’re using to ram through the funding package, after an explosive meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about the fund last month.
GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY
Republicans’ general sentiment was that the problem was one for the administration and Trump to figure out, given that a slew of Democratic amendments related to the fund would likely pass and modify the package.
And what was meant to be a concession, or at least a glimmer of hope to restart the process, has not landed well with Republicans.
«The only thing that’s gonna solve this problem — to get immigration funded and law enforced — is for the president to do away with the weaponization fund,» Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the DOJ’s announcement appeared to signal that the fund had been shut down, but that conversations among Republicans would decide the next steps on reconciliation.
SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., has argued a third budget reconciliation package is unlikely to materialize this year, adding the forthcoming immigration enforcement-focused bill is the «last train leaving the station» ahead of November’s midterm elections. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Still, he acknowledged that Republicans wanted more answers from the administration.
«Well, I think anything that they say on top of what the DOJ said is helpful, but, I mean, I think the statement they made effectively shuts it down,» Thune said.
Some Republicans aren’t totally against the idea of some form of compensation fund for people who claim they were wronged or targeted by the government, but contend that it’s how the fund is administered that matters.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., broadly supports compensation funds, like his Radiation Exposure Compensation Act that was signed into law last year, but said that the question was «how do you administer it?»
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«My view on that is, you can work those details out in a way that rewards victims,» Hawley said. »I mean, that’s the key thing.»
Others are ready to move on from the fight and feel that the DOJ’s announcement was enough to clear the decks of concerns among their colleagues.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said it’s a «moot point at this point.»
«I think it’s important for us to move forward with the ICE and CBP funding,» Schmitt said. «There’s just, we gotta get that done. Democrats have been obstructing that for too long, and so, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a moot point.»
politics, immigration, republicans elections, enforcement, justice department, senate elections
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos compró oro ilegal de Colombia mientras Bogotá pedía sanciones contra ese negocio criminal
A principios de este año, el ministro de Defensa de Colombia se acercó al gobierno de Donald Trump con una solicitud: ¿Podría el gobierno estadounidense imponer sanciones económicas a la industria del oro ilegal en Colombia?
La minería ilícita de oro sustenta al Clan del Golfo, un cártel de la droga que el gobierno estadounidense había designado como grupo terrorista. Washington ya había incluido a los líderes del cártel en una lista negra financiera. Ampliar las sanciones a los traficantes ilegales de oro ayudaría a Colombia a combatir al cártel.
Pero la solicitud puso al Departamento del Tesoro en una situación inusual: durante muchos años había estado comprando oro procedente del mismo sector al que se le pedía que incluyera en su lista negra.
La solicitud de sanciones, sobre la que Estados Unidos no ha actuado, pone de relieve los puntos débiles en ambos extremos de la cadena de suministro mundial de oro ilícito.
En primer lugar, el ejército colombiano ha sido prácticamente incapaz de impedir que los delincuentes arrasaran con cientos de kilómetros cuadrados de terreno, pagaran a los líderes de los cárteles e incluso invadieran los terrenos de una base militar en busca de oro. Y Washington ha realizado tan pocos controles de su propio suministro de oro que el oro de los cárteles acabó en monedas de la Dama de la Libertad vendidas por la Casa de la Moneda de Estados Unidos.
Estas debilidades contradicen la idea –difundida por instituciones como la Casa de la Moneda y los principales refinadores de oro del mundo– de que existe una línea clara entre el oro limpio, extraído legalmente, y el oro contaminado por la criminalidad y la corrupción. Las instituciones que se supone deben mantener el oro ilegal fuera del suministro convencional se han mostrado poco dispuestas o incapaces de hacerlo.
The New York Times informó en abril de que la Casa de la Moneda de Estados Unidos, que depende del Tesoro, compró oro procedente de una mina de oro ilícita controlada por el cártel. Con el oro rondando los 5000 dólares la onza, incluso la minería más destructiva y derrochadora para el medioambiente resulta rentable. Y mientras los grandes refinadores y compradores como la Casa de la Moneda de Estados Unidos hagan la vista gorda, sacar el oro al mercado es relativamente fácil.
El ministro de Defensa de Colombia, Pedro Sánchez, afirmó en una entrevista que la realidad es que la minería criminal está derrotando al Estado colombiano.
Dijo que, en marzo, había pedido a Estados Unidos que impusiera sanciones económicas a quienes participan en la minería criminal. Sánchez dijo haber hecho su solicitud a través del Departamento de Estado.
Leé también: Balotaje en Colombia: quién es Abelardo de la Espriella, el “outsider” que admira a Trump y promete mano dura
Las sanciones financieras estadounidenses pueden hacer prácticamente imposible que la gente haga negocios internacionales. El Departamento del Tesoro, que mantiene las listas negras financieras del gobierno, se negó a comentar si estaba estudiando la solicitud de Colombia.
Tras los artículos del Times, Sánchez sobrevoló en helicóptero las principales zonas productoras de oro de Colombia. Kilómetros y kilómetros de fosas mineras a cielo abierto se extendían unas junto a otras. Aunque todo estaba a la vista y había sido documentado durante años, Sánchez dijo que quedó impactado por la escala, que incluía docenas de barcazas que usaban bombas de vacío para succionar sedimentos del río y extraer oro.
La minería ilegal era tan desenfrenada, informó The New York Times, que una explotación se había extendido hasta los terrenos de una base militar. Esta revelación, dijo Sánchez, sacudió no solo al país, sino también a las Fuerzas Armadas, por lo que tomarán medidas contundentes contra esa minería ilegal.
El ejército dijo que había destruido maquinaria pesada en minas vinculadas al cartel durante una redada nocturna el mes pasado. Los soldados desmantelaron operaciones que producían unos 4,7 millones de dólares de oro al mes, dijeron oficiales militares.
Esta mina ilegal cerca de Caucasia, Colombia, vende oro a la cadena de suministro de la Real Casa de la Moneda de Canadá. (Foto: Federico Rios para The New York Times)
El ejército dijo posteriormente que había descubierto un documento gubernamental de 38 años que mostraba límites diferentes para la base militar. Según dijeron los oficiales, en esos límites la minería ilegal llegaba hasta el perímetro de la base, pero no la invadía. Los funcionarios se negaron a facilitar un mapa de esos límites. Un mapa gubernamental de la época muestra que la minería ilegal estaba efectivamente dentro de los límites de la base en 1988.
“Lo más preocupante no es hasta donde va el batallón”, dijo Sánchez.
Mientras Colombia ha tomado medidas contra la minería ilegal, la actuación por parte de Estados Unidos es menos clara. El Departamento del Tesoro dijo que investigaría cómo había entrado oro ilícito en su cadena de suministro durante tantos años, pero desde entonces los funcionarios se han negado a responder a preguntas de seguimiento.
La legislación estadounidense establece que la Casa de la Moneda solo puede comprar oro extraído en Estados Unidos para fabricar monedas de grado de inversión. El Times informó que, de hecho, había estado comprando oro de muchos otros lugares para esas monedas. Una portavoz del Tesoro dijo que la Casa de la Moneda estaba investigando su cadena de suministro.
El 14 de mayo, los senadores Ron Wyden, por Oregon, y Elizabeth Warren, por Massachusetts, enviaron una carta al secretario del Tesoro, Scott Bessent, exigiendo saber qué hacía la Casa de la Moneda para asegurarse de que no compraran oro de origen ilegal. Los dos senadores, ambos demócratas, no han recibido respuesta.
*Por Justin Scheck, reportero en Londres para el Times.
The New York Times, Estados Unidos, Colombia
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