{"id":2518898,"date":"2025-12-08T17:25:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T22:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-to-withhold-key-funding-from-pentagon-until-pete-hegseth-meets-lawmakers-demands\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T17:28:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T22:28:54","slug":"congress-to-withhold-key-funding-from-pentagon-until-pete-hegseth-meets-lawmakers-demands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-to-withhold-key-funding-from-pentagon-until-pete-hegseth-meets-lawmakers-demands\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress to Withhold Key Funding from Pentagon Until Pete Hegseth Meets Lawmakers&#8217; Demands"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongress-to-withhold-key-funding-from-pentagon-until-pete-hegseth-meets-lawmakers-demands%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2518898&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Congress is pressuring Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to release unedited video footage of a controversial September 2nd strike on narco terrorist boats in the Caribbean. The Pentagon&#8217;s travel budget is being used as leverage, with a budget bill proposing to withhold a quarter of those funds unless the videos are shared with the House adn Senate Armed Services Committees. the controversy arose after reports claimed Hegseth ordered lethal strikes targeting survivors of the initial attack, though Admiral Frank Bradley testified the second strike was authorized by him, not Hegseth, and justified. While some Republican lawmakers argue the footage supports the Pentagon&#8217;s account, Democrats remain skeptical and are demanding full openness. Hegseth has denied the allegations and expressed concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >protecting intelligence methods amid ongoing operations<\/a>. The budget bill also requires overdue reports, including lessons from the Ukraine conflict, before travel funds are released. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-democrats-pan-biden-autopen-report-as-distraction-from-government-shutdown\/\" title=\"House ... pan Biden autopen report as distraction from government shutdown\">dispute highlights partisan tensions<\/a> over military accountability and oversight.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Congress is using the Pentagon&rsquo;s travel budget as leverage to force Secretary of War Pete Hegseth into giving lawmakers unedited video of strikes that destroyed narco terrorist boats.<\/p>\n<p>A Sept. 2 incident has become controversial after a report in The Washington Post alleged Hegseth gave an order to kill everyone aboard, even after it was clear that some individuals survived the first strike. However, Admiral Frank &ldquo;Mitch&rdquo; Bradley on Thursday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/admiral-tells-congress-good-reason-ordering-second-strike-drug-boat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reportedly<\/a> told members of Congress during a closed-door briefing the second strike was justified and that he, not Hegseth, authorized it.<\/p>\n<p>Language tucked into the Department of War&rsquo;s budget bill would withhold a quarter of the Pentagon&rsquo;s travel budget unless Hegseth does as lawmakers want, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/12\/08\/ndaa-boat-strikes-congress-hegseth-without-funds-00680679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Politico<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, which Politico said is expected to be approved as written, would require the unedited videos to be d with members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.<\/p>\n<p>Although Bradley and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine last week showed top lawmakers the unedited video of the Sept. 2 incident, there was no consensus on what it showed. Many Republicans said it backed up what the Pentagon said; Democrats said it did not.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The budget language also demands that all overdue reports be delivered to Congress, including lessons learned from the Ukraine war, before the travel funds will be released.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has said he has no problem with releasing the videos, but on Saturday, Hegseth was less supportive of the idea.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re reviewing the process, and we&rsquo;ll see,&rdquo; Hegseth said of potentially releasing the video, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/06\/us\/politics\/pete-hegseth-boat-attack-video.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth he wanted to protect the &ldquo;sources and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-federalists-2024-battleground-state-elections-guide\/\" title=\"The Federalist&#039;s 2024 Battleground State Elections Guide\">methods&#038;rdquo<\/a>; by which the video was taken amid an &ldquo;ongoing operation&rdquo; in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth on Saturday again denied the Post&rsquo;s allegations<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just patently ridiculous,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s meant to create a cartoon of me and the decisions we make, and how we make them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy\">Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the video did not show any misconduct, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/top-armed-services-dem-sept-2-strike-video\/story?id=128185897\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ABC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy\">Cotton said he &ldquo;saw two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for the United States back over so they could stay in the fight.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said Democrats attacks are nothing more than &nbsp;&ldquo;politics and trying to take out Secretary Hegseth.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have been demanding the unedited video, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/12\/06\/trump-hegseth-venezuelan-drug-boat-video-democrat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Axios<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We write to request that you release all audio and video footage from the kinetic strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean on September 2, 2025, including the follow-on strikes,&rdquo; the letter signed by 19 of the House Armed Services Committee&rsquo;s Democrats said. No Republicans signed the letter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our concern stems from reports that you, as Secretary of Defense, issued an order to &lsquo;kill everybody,&rsquo; followed by additional strikes seeking to kill the two remaining unarmed, shipwrecked individuals,&rdquo; the letter said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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A September 2 incident sparked controversy after The Washington Post reported that Hegseth ordered all individuals on board to be killed, despite some survivors after the initial strike<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2518899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Michael-Featured-Image-393.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4402,6513,3673,3761,44930],"class_list":["post-2518898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-congress","tag-funding","tag-lawmakers","tag-pentagon","tag-pete-hegseth"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Michael-Featured-Image-393.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2518898"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2518906,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2518898\/revisions\/2518906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2518899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2518898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2518898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2518898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}