A Senate Armed Services Committee defense policy bill would withhold 75% of War Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget until the Pentagon provides lawmakers with information related to several military operations, according to a Politico report.
Politico reported that the provision is included in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act and would require the Defense Department to provide documentation related to U.S. boat strikes against suspected drug traffickers and an investigation into a February strike on a girls school in Iran.
The report described the measure as an escalation of a previous restriction signed into law by President Donald Trump that withheld 25% of Hegseth's travel budget pending delivery of requested information.
Politico reported the provision reflects frustration among lawmakers over what they view as slow or incomplete Pentagon responses to congressional inquiries.
The report did not identify which senators support the latest restriction beyond noting it is contained in legislation approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is mentioned in the report, but Politico noted that Wicker previously reviewed one of the boat-strike incidents and concluded there was no evidence a war crime had occurred.
A release issued by Wicker after an April 30 hearing with Hegseth on the fiscal year 2027 defense budget did not mention the travel provision, the boat-strike video requests, or the Iran school strike investigation.
Instead, Wicker used the hearing to praise the administration's defense priorities and support for President Donald Trump's military spending request.
"We live in the most dangerous security environment since World War II," Wicker said, arguing the United States faces threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Wicker also voiced support for Trump's proposed defense budget, calling the $1.5 trillion request "absolutely necessary to secure American interests in the 21st century."
"I am pleased that you are here testifying today in support of President Trump's historic $1.5 trillion defense budget request," Wicker told Hegseth during the hearing.
The Senate provision would still need to survive negotiations with the House, whose version of the defense legislation does not contain similar language, according to Politico.