Hegseth grilled on cost of war, testosterone policy and troop deaths

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being questioned on the cost of the war against Iran, his idea of testosterone screening for troops, and the number of service people who have died. Pete Hegseth is facing a grilling on the Iran war at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. ( Eric Lee ) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the war against Iran has cost $US37.5 billion ($53.6 billion) so far.

Mr Hegseth is being questioned at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, part of the US budget process. The Republican budget proposal is expected to flow through the reconciliation process, which enables the majority to approve the plan on its own, over the objections of Democrats in the minority. The United States' war in Iran has cost $US37.5 billion ($53.6 billion) so far, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says, an increase of nearly $8 billion ($11.4 billion) since the last public estimate.

Mr Hegseth told lawmakers that the figure also included anticipated costs through until September 30. This is the first time that Mr Hegseth, who appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee along with chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Dan Caine, has publicly faced questions from lawmakers since the US military restarted operations against Iran earlier this month. US senators made pointed remarks in the hearing over the war against Iran, as Republicans push a $US95 billion ($136 billion) budget package to fund the military, along with aid to farmers and voting law changes that are top White House priorities. "This war is now spiralling out of control again, said Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, who warned that the conflict with Iran "could be another forever war".

US President Donald Trump "has told us over 40 times now that a deal is near, and the war will be over soon, Senator Murray said. "But now, he's asking for $70 billion more — and for us to just trust him, it'll all work out fine. Ahead of the hearing, the White House issued a statement of administration policy urging support of the budget resolution "without modification — immediately".

War funding makes up the bulk of the Republicans' new budget proposal, one last priority package the Republicans hope to launch before lawmakers recess to campaign for the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. It also includes $10 billion ($14.3 billion) in aid for farmers struggling under Mr Trump's tariffs and another $10 billion for voter law changes that are likely to include new ID requirements, none of it paid for with offsets. Most Americans continue to disapprove of how Mr Trump is handling Iran, according to an AP-NORC poll.

Gas prices have spiked as Iran works to control oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, US munitions are running low amid the onslaught of American missile strikes, and Trump has shifted away from his own campaign promise not to draw the US into prolonged military conflicts. Nevertheless, Mr Trump has shown no signs of backing off the war, and the Republicans have largely refused to confront his strategy, question his objectives or use Congress's power of the purse or war powers authority to halt the conflict. "The commander in chief and the whole Department of War are working very hard to bring this to a resolution, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday.

"There's a lot of questions about how that will be done. Mr Trump, in a social media post at the start of the week, asked all House Republicans to vote for the budget resolution. Mr Hegseth has appeared before the panel facing a torrent of questions about not only the war, but his own leadership of the department.

Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the committee, opened the hearing saying it was "deeply troubling" that the Pentagon has blocked or denied promotions to various officers, particularly women and minorities. Chuck Schumer says Pete Hegseth has to answer why he is "marketing testosterone supplements" for US troops. ( AP: J Scott Applewhite ) "This is likely to discourage well-qualified women and individuals of colour from joining our armed forces, thus depriving us of their talent, dedication and patriotism, she said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Mr Hegseth has been busy promoting his plan for testosterone screenings for the troops rather than publicly disclosing the latest service member injuries in the war with Iran. Nearly 450 service members have been injured since the start of the war. "One of the biggest questions Pete Hegseth has to answer today is why he was out marketing testosterone supplements for our troops last week while withholding casualty numbers in the Iran War from the American people, Senator Schumer said.