Key Takeaways From Pentagon Leaders’ Testimony Before Congress

Military leaders faced questions on the Iran conflict, personnel decisions, and a $1.5 trillion military budget request during two days of testimony.

Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst (L), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (C), and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine (R) testify on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 30, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine faced numerous pointed questions about the Iran conflict in their first set of public hearings since the fighting began on Feb. 28.

Hegseth and Caine testified in back-to-back hearings before the House and Senate Armed Services committees on April 29 and April 30, as the Pentagon seeks congressional support for a record-setting $1.5 trillion in military and defense funding in fiscal 2027.