The U.S. Department of War needs at least $350 billion in additional funding during Congress's lame-duck session, Secretary of War Hegseth said in remarks published Nov. 10.
Hegseth put the funding request ahead of an impeachment effort he dismissed as a distraction. His remarks came at a press conference carried by Fox Business.
Addressing Iran first, he said the United States could monitor efforts to rebuild military capabilities during the ceasefire and would act if necessary. He did not specify what Iranian activity would trigger military action or directly address reports of rearmament.
“As far as blockade, it is iron clad, nothing has gotten through,” he said. Damage from earlier attacks and Iran's limited capacity to produce weapons restricted its ability to rebuild, although he expected it to try.
Turning to a coalition against drug cartels, Hegseth credited President Donald Trump's leadership and U.S. operations with attracting partners. He said those countries wanted the United States as their defense and commercial partner instead of China, Iran or Russia.
He described the campaign as lawful from its start and accused domestic political opponents of trying to sow doubt among partners. He said Washington was working with participating countries to prevent legal challenges from obstructing their operations against cartels.
Asked about Trump's support, Hegseth said he would serve for as long as the president wanted him. He praised Stephen Miller as a friend of the department and said Miller would be a “fantastic chief of staff.”
Challenged about a possible trial in the next Congress, Hegseth said he would welcome a debate over Trump's foreign policy and national security record. He cited military operations and recruiting as successes he was ready to defend.
He declined to endorse the premise of a question about whether the Iran war had contributed to Republican midterm losses. He said he respected Vice President J.D. Vance and would not engage in finger-pointing.
Hegseth defended the decision to fight, saying the purpose was to ensure Iran never acquired a nuclear weapon. “It is not necessarily popular but it may have been necessary,” he said, repeating a formulation he attributed to Marco Rubio.
On impeachment, he said his team had contacted House Speaker Johnson and Republican whip Tom Emmer and had support. He dismissed the articles as the work of “one disgruntled guy” and said they lacked a constitutional basis. He did not identify their sponsor.
Hegseth said civilian and uniformed leaders regularly briefed Republicans and Democrats in Congress and would continue doing so. He said the department was working with Johnson and Senate leader John Thune to secure funding through reconciliation, a legislative process for budget measures.
He described the period before the next Congress takes office as an opportunity to finance military needs for decades. His remarks did not give a spending breakdown or specify when Congress would vote. “My job is not to litigate this everyday, it is to ensure we are funded and funded properly,” he said.
