U.S. senators are pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide additional information about two sets of military actions, and are using threats to withhold part of his travel budget as leverage, according to reporting cited by multiple outlets. Lawmakers say they want the Pentagon to turn over documentation related to a February strike in Iran that hit a girls’ school and killed about 150 people, including many children, based on Iranian officials’ figures. Senators also raise concerns that Pentagon intelligence at the time indicated the school was an Iranian base, and they say the department initially did not take responsibility for the strike.
Separately, senators are seeking details and video footage connected to U.S. operations against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean/Venezuela area. The Hill and other reports describe ongoing strikes that began in September and that have resulted in more than 200 deaths, according to recent death-toll figures discussed by outlets.
Politico reporting cited across the articles says the senators are considering measures in the Senate version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act that would limit a large portion of Hegseth’s travel budget until Congress receives sufficient documentation. This is described as the second attempt to use the same tactic, following an earlier budget reduction.
