US senators threaten to withhold 75% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget over Pentagon noncompliance
Lawmakers warn to cut funds as Congress presses for answers on the US military’s investigation into the February 28 strike on a girls’ school in Iran, which killed 165 people, mostly children.
The Senate is poised to withhold three quarters of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget after lawmakers said the Pentagon repeatedly failed to provide requested documents and briefings. Senators told aides the move is a targeted attempt to press the Defense Department for disclosure about the military’s inquiry into the February 28 strike on a girls’ school in Iran, a strike that left 165 people dead, the majority of them children.
Senators Move to Cut 75% of Hegseth’s Travel Funds
Several US senators have signaled they will seek language in appropriations or oversight measures to reduce the travel allocation available to Secretary Pete Hegseth by 75 percent. The step is framed by sponsors as a narrow fiscal lever aimed at forcing timely compliance with congressional oversight requests rather than a broader assault on defense funding.
Supporters of the reduction say it is calibrated to maintain core Defense Department operations while delivering a clear message that statutory oversight demands must be met. Opponents warn the measure could complicate routine diplomacy and high-level engagement abroad if enacted without alternative travel arrangements.
Lawmakers Demand Details on February 28 Iran School Strike
Lawmakers have repeatedly requested detailed records and witness interviews tied to the US military’s investigation of the February 28 incident that struck a girls’ school in Iran. The strike, which officials say resulted in 165 fatalities with most victims reported as children, has become a focal point for questions about targeting processes and precautionary steps taken before strikes.
Congressional offices say they need operational timelines, targeting assessments, communications logs, and any after-action reviews to determine whether US forces or affiliated assets were involved and whether established rules of engagement were followed. Those requests, aides say, have gone unanswered or met with partial disclosures that failed to satisfy lawmakers’ demands.
Pentagon’s Response and Compliance Disputes
Pentagon officials acknowledge an ongoing investigation and have described certain materials as classified or operationally sensitive, complicating full disclosure to Congress. Senior defense officials have told staff that some documents require careful redaction or must be briefed in secure settings, which can delay transmission of the requested information.
Senators pushing the funding cut argue that classification explanations have been used to stall oversight and that arrangements exist for secure briefings and document review. The standoff has underscored long-standing tensions between congressional oversight powers and executive branch claims of national security privilege.
CENTCOM Investigation Status and Unresolved Accountability
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed an internal investigation into the circumstances of the February 28 strike, but officials have not released findings or identified any personnel held responsible. CENTCOM statements have emphasized the inquiry remains active and that investigators are reviewing targeting data, intelligence inputs, and operational communications.
The absence of public accountability for the deaths — and the scale of civilian harm reported — has intensified congressional urgency for transparency. Lawmakers say independent review of CENTCOM’s procedures is necessary to assess whether policies adequately protect civilians in conflict zones and to determine whether remedial actions are required.
Oversight Stakes and Broader Political Implications
The dispute over Hegseth’s travel budget represents a rare use of budgetary tools for oversight leverage and signals growing impatience in Congress with perceived obstruction. If enacted, the cut could reshape how senior Defense Department officials plan and prioritize overseas engagements and diplomatic outreach that typically rely on official travel funding.
Political allies of the Defense Secretary decried the measure as punitive and perilous to national security diplomacy, while critics framed it as a proportionate response to what they described as an unacceptable pattern of noncompliance. The clash is likely to reverberate through upcoming appropriations negotiations and may prompt additional legislative proposals to tighten reporting requirements.
Next Steps in Congress and Possible Compromise Paths
Senators drafting the cut say they will advance the provision through committee markup and seek to attach it to pending defense or appropriations legislation this congressional cycle. Lawmakers also indicate they are open to negotiating secure conditions for classified briefings and staged disclosures that would address national security concerns while satisfying oversight needs.
Administration officials, congressional staff, and defense counsel are expected to engage in intensive discussions in the coming weeks to resolve procedural disputes and to avoid a public confrontation that could stall wider budget negotiations. Observers say a narrowly tailored compromise that ensures timely access to investigative materials could defuse the immediate crisis.
The impasse over the Pentagon’s disclosures and the ongoing CENTCOM investigation places renewed focus on how US military operations are reviewed after incidents involving civilian casualties. Lawmakers and Pentagon officials are under mounting pressure to reconcile the need for operational secrecy with Congress’s constitutional oversight role, and the outcome will shape both accountability processes and the limits of executive privilege going forward.
