GOP senators warn Hegseth over shutting Democrats out of Pentagon briefings: ‘You got to engage’

WASHINGTON, DC: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism from members of his own party over the Pentagon's decision to exclude congressional Democrats from recent closed-door briefings.

Republican senators say the approach could make it harder to secure support for President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget. Several GOP lawmakers have urged Hegseth to resume bipartisan engagement with Congress. The Pentagon, however, maintains that Hegseth and senior officials regularly work with lawmakers on defense and national security matters.

GOP senators urge Hegseth to include Democrats in briefings

Hegseth has so far made at least two recent trips to Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the administration's defense priorities, but Democrats were reportedly excluded from the closed-door sessions. The briefings came as the Pentagon seeks congressional backing for a record defense spending increase.

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued one of the sharpest warnings to Hegseth, urging him to make his case to lawmakers from both parties and not alienate anyone.

“He calls himself the secretary of war, but ironically, he doesn’t want to go to war and win the argument with nearly half the members of the Senate,” Tillis said. “You got to engage.”

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) said he had raised concerns with defense officials and argued that Democrats should receive the necessary information, while acknowledging that classified material must remain confidential.

“The Democrat members need to be brought up to speed. But there has to be a clear understanding that the information that’s being provided to them cannot be publicly discussed. And for some reason, some of the administration feels as though there’s a possibility that some of it would be leaked,” Rounds said.

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also said the briefings should include members of both parties.

“I know that sometimes you want to have smaller groups, but I think it needs to be bipartisan,” Murkowski said.

Democrats criticize exclusion from congressional briefings

Democrats have also objected to their exclusion, saying the practice differs from longstanding arrangements for national security briefings.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Democrats were not only being excluded from classified briefings but were also not receiving some routine briefings with committee staff that had traditionally taken place.

Senator Chris Coons (D-Del), the top Democrat on the Senate defense spending panel, said Republican lawmakers had urged Hegseth to engage with Democrats and warned that the administration should not be surprised if Democrats are less receptive to its funding requests.

The issue could have consequences for Trump's defense budget. While Republicans broadly support the increase, the administration may need Democratic votes for major defense legislation, particularly as Democrats have indicated they could oppose some funding measures.

Pentagon defends Hegseth's approach to Congress

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the department's approach, saying it “remains fully committed to working with Congress to ensure our warfighters have the resources necessary to execute their mission.”

He urged Hegseth to “regularly engage with lawmakers to discuss the defense budget, readiness, and national security priorities.”