House Democratic defense hawks are pressing for fuller scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, vowing to make oversight of the United States’ military operations abroad a top priority in the months ahead.
The push for greater transparency from the House Armed Services Committee’s Democratic members is a clear shot across the bow at Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Republicans more broadly, who have declined thus far to hold public hearings on the Iran war.
“We’re over a month into Trump’s disastrous war of choice and we’ve yet to receive a clear strategy from the president despite the staggering costs,” Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said.
The comments were included in a broader list of priorities Smith is set to release Wednesday, a rundown that was first shared with Punchbowl News. The document, which has buy-in from all committee Democrats, is notably from a panel that is traditionally viewed as overwhelmingly bipartisan, particularly in how it legislates on the annual defense policy bill.
There’s more. The conflict in the Middle East is exposing more fissures along party lines. Democratic members, just a couple of weeks ago, called on Rogers to schedule a public hearing on the Iran operations, citing the “lack of transparency” and shifting rationale from the Trump administration.
The new document echoes many of those same frustrations while pointedly demanding that Congress “fulfill its duty to provide oversight” of a war that has killed at least 13 U.S. servicemembers and wounded more than 350 others, according to the latest Defense Department count.
“Congress must reestablish its authority and responsibility as a co-equal branch of government,” Smith said.
The rundown also offers a preview of sorts for future Democratic defense-hawk priorities, should the party retake the House in the midterm elections. The document underscores the need for “more frequent public events, congressional investigations and legislative action” as it relates to the Trump administration’s use of the military.
That includes military action overseas, the domestic deployment of U.S. troops, the politicization of the Pentagon and the renaming of DOD to the Department of War, Smith wrote.
Other priorities. Going forward, Smith said Democrats will work to refocus the Pentagon on “the military’s core missions” in the wake of “political” decision-making under the Trump administration.
The document also stressed support for NATO and the United States’ global alliances. Smith wrote that lawmakers need to “restore America’s position as a reliable lawful partner.”
Democrats plan to spotlight workforce retention efforts following Pentagon leaders’ dismissal of top military officials — most recently Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.
On the NDAA front, Democratic committee members want to do more to strengthen the U.S. defense supplier base. While Smith didn’t explicitly reference the White House’s $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense budget request, he stressed the need to buy military equipment “in a way that is realistic both for industry and federal budget.”
