Pete Hegseth warns of 'greatest threat' to US, seeks $1.5 tril. budget as Iran war hits $37.5 bil.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged lawmakers to fund the U.S. defense department at $1.5 trillion, calling it the nation's greatest threat if unfunded. Speaking at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Hegseth detailed the ongoing costs of the war with Iran, which has reached $37.5 billion, and requested an additional $67 billion in supplemental funding.

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Not funding this department at $1.5 trillion, I believe, is the greatest threat that our nation faces.

"The military requires a generational investment to deliver on peace through strength," Hegseth stated. He argued that preparing for war and deterring potential adversaries is the most effective way to create peace. He warned that without adequate funding, the U.S. faces critical shortfalls in paying service members, replenishing equipment, and sustaining vital operations.

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The military requires a generational investment to deliver on peace through strength. We know the best way to create peace is to prepare for war, to deter it, and that's exactly what the Department of War is doing, building a force so capable that it would be absurd for anyone to challenge it.

Hegseth also criticized the previous Biden administration, asserting it handed off a weakened defense infrastructure. He claimed that "deferred maintenance almost across the board" occurred, and that former leaders allowed the military to "languish through social experiments and globalist" policies. He stressed that "long-term strategic dominance cannot be funded through one-off supplementals," advocating for immediate implementation of funds for the armed forces.

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Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption.

The defense secretary outlined specific needs, requesting $21 billion for readiness, which would cover military pay, equipment replacement, sustaining forward-deployed forces, and addressing fuel shortfalls. He emphasized that these funds would upgrade, modernize, and replenish the U.S. armed forces, serving to sustain readiness and accelerate critical capabilities.

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$1.5 trillion is what the President seeks and what we need to defend the country. The members of this committee understand better than most that long-term strategic dominance cannot be funded through one-off supplementals.