Hegseth Faces Republican Backlash Over Excluding Democrats from Defense Budget Briefings

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under criticism from Republican senators for excluding Democratic lawmakers from classified briefings on the proposed $1.5 trillion military budget increase. The closed-door sessions, held on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, were intended to pitch the record defense spending plan, but the repeated exclusion of Democrats has raised concerns about bipartisan support and the bill's passage. Lawmakers from both parties have noted the unusual nature of these briefings, which have at least twice left Democrats out of the room.