Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sharply challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Trump administration’s request for a record-breaking defense budget, questioning why billions more should be spent on war while millions of Americans continue struggling to afford basic necessities.
During the hearing, Gillibrand criticized the administration’s request for roughly $1.5 trillion in defense spending, arguing that the administration’s priorities are badly out of balance.
“You’re asking for literally $1.5 trillion for a war President Trump said he already won,” Gillibrand told Hegseth. “You’re asking for $1.5 trillion: Unlimited money for bombs but insufficient money for the American people for their healthcare, their food, their housing, and our farmers.”
She continued: “You’re asking for unlimited money for bombs when people can’t feed their families, and I don’t know how this administration intends to defend those decisions to the American people.”
Hegseth rejected the characterization that the Pentagon was seeking “unlimited” funding for weapons.
“Not unlimited bombs, senator,” he replied. “I’m asking for the right bombs at the right time to ensure we can deter our adversaries in the future, and that’s why this is a generational investment.”
The exchange underscored the growing divide over the administration’s spending priorities, with Democrats arguing that massive increases in military spending are coming at the expense of investments in healthcare, housing, food assistance, and other programs that directly affect working families.
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