Hegseth Grilled on Iran War, Budget, Shakeups

0:00It's April 29, I'm Cory with the story. This is Canada News Today, driven by AI. Defense Secretary Pete Hagueceth faces his first grilling from lawmakers tomorrow in the House Armed Services Committee. The session's officially about the administration's massive 2027 military budget proposal, clocking in at $1.5 trillion, the biggest ever. Hagueceth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Cain planned to push hard for more drones, whistle defenses, and warships to beef up readiness. Democrats, though, are set to shift gears quick to the Iran War's exploding costs, the drain on U.S. munitions stockpiles and ugly incidents like that school bombing that killed kids, plus Iranian drone swarms slipping through defenses and hitting American troops. The conflict kicked off February 28th with the U.S. and Israel jumping in. No congressional green light, and even now with a ceasefire, it's a stalemate. Wallmakers on both sides feel the heat from every day fallout, like Iran shedding the

1:03straight of hormones, spiking global oil prices and messing with. Republicans before midterms. The U.S. hit back with a navy blockade and part three aircraft carriers in the Middle East for the first time in over 20 years, real high stakes, chests. Adding fuel to the fire, Hagueceth's been firing top brass left and right, including Navy Secretary John Fielin last week, Army Chief General Randy, George, and other generals and admirals. Even some Republicans, like Senator Tom Tillis, who help confirm him, are calling it reckless, questioning if the Pentagon's stable enough during war time, expect the Senate Armed Services Committee to pile on Thursday with similar heat on the budget, the war, and these shakeups as talks with Iran's stall. And everyone watches if Trump bends on that straight offer or keeps the pressure dialed up.