Pete Hegseth faces Congress over Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget: Live updates

Acting Under Secretary of Defense and Chief Financial Officer Jules Hurst testified that the cost of the Iran war has hit $29 billion.

Late last month, the Pentagon said the total cost was an estimated $25 billion.

Hurst attributed the increase to “updated repair and replacement of equipment costs,” along with “general operational costs.”

Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, asking how officials know whether or not it’s active.

“As you know, for the most part, a ceasefire means the fire is ceasing, and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur. And there are lots of different discussions with our negotiating team that are happening,” Hegseth said.

Aguilar then asked: “Is the theory to create more ceasefires or more projects just to evade the War Powers Act?”

“The theory of the entire case is to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. And if that has to be done kinetically and militarily, the Department of War is locked and loaded and ready to do that,” Hegseth replied.

Hegseth’s opening statement thus far is devoid of the bluster and partisanship that characterized his testimony before the House and Senate Armed Services committees.

That’s likely because he’s been advised that the appropriations subcommittees he is appearing in front of today are responsible for cutting the check that funds his department. He’s not going to walk into their house and bite the hand that feeds him.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testimony to Congress Tuesday morning comes less than a month after he got into a tense exchange with lawmakers who questioned the validity of the Iran war.

Catch up with Hegseth’s most recent testimony:

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testimony to Congress on the Trump administration’s budget request for $1.5 trillion.