Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under criticism from fellow Republicans for excluding Democrats from closed-door briefings on the Trump administration’s proposed defense budget, which calls for a $1.5 trillion increase in military spending. The Pentagon official has made multiple trips to Capitol Hill in recent weeks to advocate for the budget proposal but has repeatedly held these sessions without Democratic participation, according to members of both parties.
Several Republican senators have expressed concerns that Hegseth’s strategy may be counterproductive. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina stated that the defense secretary was undermining his own objectives by refusing to engage in substantive discussions with roughly half of the Senate’s membership. Mike Rounds of South Dakota indicated he had directly raised the matter with Pentagon officials, noting that the Democratic members of Congress needed to be informed about the budget proposal. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska similarly advocated for a bipartisan approach to the classified briefings, arguing that while smaller group sessions may sometimes be appropriate, they should include representatives from both parties.
Pentagon officials have suggested that concerns about classified material leaks motivated the decision to limit attendance. A Pentagon spokesperson stated that Secretary Hegseth and senior department leadership were committed to working with Congress and regularly engaged lawmakers on defense budget, readiness, and national security matters.
Democrats have indicated they may boycott funding bills if excluded from the briefing process. Since portions of the defense budget will require Democratic votes to pass despite Republican efforts to advance parts through a party-line reconciliation process, the exclusion strategy could create obstacles for the administration’s own spending agenda later this year. The dispute reflects broader tensions between Hegseth and congressional Democrats, following comments he made earlier in April characterizing Democratic members as an impediment to national security objectives.
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